“I think she could be your type, well, a little tomboy, but, sexy…,” began Shane.

            “No.”

            “Why not?  You have to get back up on the horse sometime,” said Shane.  Alice sat on the edge of the truck, her legs swinging to and fro, head hanging down, dejected.

            “I can’t.”

            “Yeah, you can,” egged on Shane.

            “Like you did?  You forgot about Carmen in like, two seconds.  You had this cute, sexy, wonderfully devoted woman who wanted to MARRY you, and you…”

            “I know what I did,” Shane said coolly.  “Does everyone have to keep reminding me of it?”

            “I’m sorry, Shane,” sighed Alice.  Grabbing Shane, pulling her into a half hug.  Shane sighed, melting against Alice.

            “I’m not paying you to sit around,” barked Tina in jest.

            “You’re not paying us at all,” corrected Shane.  Pulling away from Alice, just like she’d been pulling away from everyone else.  Even though five months had passed since she’d stood Carmen up in Whistler, she thought of her every day.  There wasn’t one night she didn’t think of her.  Shane looked down on the ground, seeing a cell phone there.  Bending over, no one taking notice of what she was doing, and pocketing the cell phone. 

            Everyone was coming out of the house, all ready to go to Tina’s new house to now unpack everything that was stuffed into the truck.  Shane stuffed the small cell phone into her pocket without a second thought.

Brian was standing in Lindsey and Mel’s living room, listening to Mel’s triad about the fact that he’d left Gus with Samantha, and then for the fact that JR had wandered off.  Brian took a cigarette and began to light it up, Samantha snatched it from him, giving him a cold look. 

            “No,” said Samantha, wagging a finger at him.  Brian caught her finger, then sighed.

            “Whatever.”

            “You are so pussy whipped,” smiled Justin. 

            “Look at the time,” began Samantha, “I have to go pick up Jesse at Jayden’s house.  Ladies, call me if you need anything.”

            “We’ll do that!” called Lindsey.  She turned, giving Brian a long look.  “Are you sure you are related?”

            Brian simply scoffed.

Two Days Later

Tina was sitting at her desk, trying, with no luck, to make heads or tails out of the newest list of book that they were attempting to make into either mini series or movies.  Harlequin Peabody knocked on her door.  Long blonde hair, tied up in an always tight severe ponytail or bun, green piercing eyes that seemed to be able to ferret out a lie more quickly than a lie detector.  In the business world, Harlequin was known at the ‘Ice Woman’.

            “Busy?” asked Harlequin.

            “Yes, but come on in anyway.  I was looking at the acquisitions that Helena had put together…,” began Tina.  “Before she left.”

            “Hmmm, I saw.  Rather heavy on the homosexual front, were they not?”

            Tina pursed her lips, wondering how to delve into that subject, “It was a passion of Helena’s.”

            “Hmmm, yes.  Her downfall, wasn’t it?  Hosting a wedding, leave it to my sister to try and be romantic.  She should have been honing her business skills instead of her sexual prowess.  Dump the list,” instructed Harlequin.  “We’ll begin anew.” 

            With that, Harlequin walked out of the room.  Tina slammed the thick booklet of acquisitions onto the desk with a muted grunted.

            Samantha walked into The Planet, turning to Jesse, and signing to him, What do you want, darling?” 

            Jesse smiled, biting his lower lip with a twinkle in his eye, Lunch would be good.

            Smart ass, Samantha signed back.  Jesse giggled, motioning to a table and Sam smiled, just the right side of her lips curling up.  The waitress brought them their menus, and Samantha ordered two bottles of water. 

            For a few minutes, they chatted with sign language.  Their hands a quick blur, sometimes Jesse had to stop and think of what he wanted to say.  His dark eyes looking skywards for inspiration, then signing what he wanted to say with a burst of energy. 

            So, you don’t know where you put your cell phone?  Did JR take it?  Or Gus?  Asked Jesse.

            No, I don’t think so.  I checked everywhere, that’s ok.  I’ll just get another one, signed Sam. 

            A woman approached the table, smiling at Sam, then at Jesse.  With quick hands, the woman signed, It is wonderful to see such a well versed child, how long as he been using sign?

            Sam felt the blush rise to her cheeks, this woman thought that Sam, or Jesse, was deaf.  Neither of us are deaf, Jesse, my son, wants to learn a variety of languages.  He’s fluent in French, and ASL was the next language he chose to learn.  I’m Sam Vance, this is Jesse Masters.

            “It is a pleasure to meet you, what a brilliant child,” the woman said in her muted voice.  Sam looked her over, seeing that she didn’t have a hearing aid or a cochlear implant, she must have been reading lips.  “I’m Rachel DuBois, a pleasure to meet you both.  I’m sorry to have bothered you,” said the woman, an easy smile on her lips.

            Please, don’t go, sit down?  Signed Jesse, an impish smile spreading over his face. 

            Smiling, Rachel signed back, I’m here with someone, but thank you.

            Invite them over too, the more the merrier. 

            “Jesse…,” said Samantha in a threatening tone of voice, Jesse ignored her.

            “If you don’t mind?” Rachel turned to Sam, her attention had been fully on the charming eight year old before her.

            Sam forced a smile, “Of course not.  He needs the practice.”  Rachel moved away from the table, and Sam wagged a finger at a laughing Jesse.  “You are incorrigible!”

            “I take after the best.  Come on, Sam, it’s time to start dating again.  Mom died three years ago.  You’re still wearing her ring.”

            Sam swallowed, her hand moving to the silver titanium band that rested on her right hand, twisting it.  She knew that her son was right, but that didn’t make it any easier.