**

In her bedroom, Carmen is trying hard to concentrate on the book she’s reading.
But there is a voice singing coming from outside, a low, husky voice, and Carmen gives up, sighing.
She gets up, walking out onto the balcony.
Shane lies in a floating pool chair, sipping a cocktail and listening to her iPod.
She’s singing Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”.
In German.
“Excuse me”, Carmen calls out, frowning, “Excuse me!”.
Shane removes her headphones, pointing at herself.
“Are you talking to me?”, she asks, falsely taken aback.
Carmen looks at her, her eyes serious.
“Look, I know this is your house and all”, she says, “But do you think you could keep it down? I am trying to read”.
Shane smirks.
“What are you reading?”.
“The Fountainhead”, Carmen replies in a flat tone.
Shane’s grin widens.
“Great book”.
Carmen ducks her head, looking skeptical.
“You’ve read the Fountainhead?”.
“Several times and not for job. For pleasure. I’m not as dumb as I act, you know?”, Shane replies, amused, “When Howard Roark makes love to Dominique Francon… Most romantic scene in all of literature”.
“Romantic? He rapes her!”, Carmen grimaces.
Shane’s eyebrows arch.
“That’s a matter of opinion”.
Carmen chuckles bitterly, shaking her head.
“You need help…”.
Shane is moving her hands into the water, lazily.
“Why don’t you come join me for a swim and we’ll discuss it…”.
“At this hour?”, Carmen glances at the clock on the wall, “I don’t think so”.
Shane rolls her eyes.
“Oh come on. Quit acting like a geriatric and get in the pool”.
Carmen scoffs at her.
“Gee, with an invitation like that how could a girl refuse”.
Shane’s face turns serious.
She looks at her straight in the eyes.
“Please…”, she murmurs then, in a softer tone.
Carmen tilts her head, looking torn for a while.
“Alright…”, she eventually sighs, “Give me a minute. I’ll be right down”.
Shane bows her head.
“Thank you”.
She observes her as she walks away, blinking slowly. The expression on her face looks less detached than it should.
Lost in her thoughts, Shane jolts when her cell phone rings.
She flips it open.
“Fuck her yet?”, Jenny asks her, flatly.
“I’m working on it”, Shane replies, staring at the door Carmen just walked through.
“Loser”.
“Bitch”.
“Call me later”.
“Okay”.
Shane hangs up.
A minute later Carmen comes back. Waiting a bathrobe and looking so stunning that Shane has to swallow hard.
Carmen sits by the pool, holding out a letter and half-smiling.
“You know… it amazes me that someone as bright as you can be so horrible…”.
Shane’s eyebrows furrow.
“What? Another letter from your friend?”.
Carmen unfolds it.
“This is my favorite part…”.
And she starts reading.
“Even more treacherous and dangerous than she is charming and fascinating. She has never taken a single step or spoken a single word without some dishonorable or criminal intentions. Every girl she has successfully pursued has regretted it”.
Carmen looks up at Shane, her expression unreadable.
Shane sighs.
“You know, you could at least have the decency of telling me who’s badmouthing me… So I might have the opportunity to confront them face to face”, she states, annoyed.
“How do you know it’s not some girl who’s pissed off at me for breaking up with her?", she asks then.
Carmen doesn’t break eye-contact with her.
“I sincerely doubt it”.
Shane extends her hand.
“Give me the fucking letter”.
Carmen smiles, tearing the letter up.
“Why did you do that?”, Shane asks, mouth agape.
“The last thing I need is you going into my room searching for this while I’m away”.
Shane smirks.
“Is that the last thing you need? My, your clever…”.
Carmen doesn’t reply.
She takes pieces of paper and sticks it into her bathrobe. Then, she stands and takes it off, revealing a red bikini suit underneath.
Shane looks at her, squarely, and almost chokes with her own breath.
“How’s the water?”, Carmen asks, nonchalantly.
“Refreshing… Thank God…”, Shane answers, brooding.
Carmen dives in the pool like a siren. She surfaces and rakes her fingers though her soaking wet hair.
“You’re right, you know…”, Shane murmurs.
“About what?”. Carmen’s voice echoes in the silent swimming pool.
“About what you said today. I am not a happy person”.
Carmen’s eyes peer into Shane’s.
“I never said that”, she replies then, quietly.
“You implied it”, Shane tilts her head.
“Look, I didn’t mean to give you a hard time…”, Carmen starts.
“No, it’s okay. I mean… I look at you with all your morals and values and, well… You seem to be happy in your choices”.
She stares at her.
“I envy you. No bullshit”.
Carmen’s face shows that she’s completely caught off guard.
“Thank you…”, she says, softly.
Shane is still staring at her.
“Seriously, you are amazing. You have everything going for you”.
She counts with her fingers.
“You’re smart, you’re beautiful, you’re determined. You’re everything I want in a girlfriend”.
Carmen bursts out laughing.
“Shut up!”.
Shane smiles.
“I wasn’t kidding. I’d like to take you out…”.
Carmen looks at her, sweetly.
“Look, I’m flattered but, seriously… it could never work”.
Shane ducks her head.
“Why not?”.
“Because you act like a pig”, Carmen replies, giggling.
Shane swims towards her, her dark hair soaking wet, her green eyes penetrating, piercing.
“Do you deny that there’s an attraction between us?”, she asks her, huskily.
Carmen looks down, suddenly embarrassed.
“I don’t… I don’t want to answer that… Look, we’re friends…”.
Shane smiles.
“You don’t find me cute?”, she asks, puppy-eyeing her and pouting.
Carmen laughs, sincerely, and Shane feels something stinging deep inside, abruptly.
“I am sorry, but you’re not my type…”, Carmen murmurs.
Shane blinks her eyelids.
“That’s because I’m not a guy?”.
“No… It’s just… No, I have no problem with you being a girl…”, Carmen shakes her head.
Shane purses her lips, weighting her words.
“Fine”, she says finally, “Friends it is. I can live with that”.
She extends her arms out for a hug.
Carmen hesitates for a while, then she moves in and hugs her.
They remain that way, and Shane is hugging her as tightly as she can.
Without even noticing, she starts brushing her lips against Carmen’s shoulder, neck. She kisses the soft spot behind Carmen’s ear.
Carmen tenses into her arms.
Slowly but firmly, she pulls away and stares at her, pursing her lips.
Shane doesn’t reply.
Carmen climbs out of the pool without saying a word, and leaves.
Shane rubs her hands over her face, staring at the closed door.