Shane gave a sideways glance to the woman beside her at the counter.  Fingers ran across the lip of the half-drunken cup of coffee, which sat before her.  The other was hidden within the layers of light brown hair, which fell down over her shoulder partially hiding her face as she spoke into her mobile phone.

“Tell you what, why don’t you call me when you decide to grow up” replied the woman with dissatisfaction, before pulling the cell from her ear and snapping closed and giving it a sullen glare before placing it on the counter by her cup of coffee.

Shane graciously gave herself a extra moment of watching, as the woman pushed her hair back from her face and lifted the cup of coffee to her lips, before she turned her attention back to the task of retrieving her own cup of coffee which had been placed before her.  The server waited patiently for the payment, which Shane handed over.

“Would you like a refill?” asked the server turning to the younger woman.

Turning with her coffee, Shane observed her once more, as she sighed and nodded at the request.

“Could you make it to go please,” she asked, furrowing in her bag for her purse. 

She gave a sideways look to Shane whom with an unabashed air stayed where she was watching.  The young woman merely gave her a friendly smile and turned her attention back to the server, handing over her cash, before sliding amiably off her seat and coffee in hand headed for the door in a somewhat hastened pace, looking slightly put out as she looked at her watch.  Shane watched her leave, intrigued for some reason, though she couldn’t pinpoint what.  With a slight smile on her lips she was about to head for a vacant table when Alice appeared beside her.

“Hey” said Alice sliding onto the seat the woman had just vacated

“Hi” replied Shane, setting her coffee back on the counter top as Alice ordered a cup for herself.

“Anyone else about?” asked Alice, swivelling in the tall seat to take a glance about the caf herself.

“No, I was supposed to be meeting Jen…” started Shane

“Hey this yours” asked Alice, picking up a cell phone from the counter.

“No” replied Shane, recognising it as the cell the woman had been speaking into moments before. In her haste to leave she must have forgotten to pick it up.

“Oh I’ll just give it to one of the staff then, someone’s bound to come back for it”

“No” said Shane instinctively, taking the cell from Alice before she had a chance to inform one of the counter staff. “Wait here, I’ll be back in a moment”

Shane made for the exit quickly and out into the bustling street.  She looked about sharply for the woman but couldn’t seeher anyway and after a few futile glances at the cabs and cars littered along the roadside she made her way back into The Planet to Alice.

Alice was watching her with a curious gaze before letting a smile spread over her lips.

“Someone you know” she asked, as a server placed her order in front of her.

“Not yet” replied Shane, sliding the cell into her pocket and picking up her coffee.

“Shane, couldn’t that be construed as stealing?” admonished Alice, in a light tone, as they headed for a vacant table.

“No it isn’t.  The owner will call it to find out where it is right? Wouldn’t you want to know someone trustworthy is keeping it for you, quite happy to return it to you safely…in person” replied Shane with a knowing smile as they sat.

Alice rolled her eyes and picked at the salad before her, before returning a wide smile of her own, great minds thought alike.