Shannon was not working, so Allyson promised to stop by after work and give her the full play-by-play.

Allyson was smiling as Shannon opened her apartment door, just thinking about reliving the last 24 hours. “Well, what the hell happened? Tell me everything!”

“Wow, good to see you too,” Allyson joked. “Yeah the shift was good. The usual weekend rush but nothing unusual.”

“Good. OK. Now, come on! I’ve gone all day waiting for details! I let you leave, the least you can do is skip the pleasantries and get to the part where you tell me it was worth putting up with Kristina’s bitching,” Shannon said as fast as her mouth could form the words.

“Oh, it was worth it!” Allyson said, barely stifling her laughter, knowing she was teasing Shannon.

“No! Did you? No! Yes? No. Allyson!”

Allyson had told Shannon she was safe during the shelter-in-place, but what she didn’t say was that she was texting from JC’s couch.

Allyson busted out laughing. “No! I did spend the night, but not like that.”

Shannon’s eyes got wide. “You did what now?”

Allyson looked down shyly. “Yeah. I was over there when the shelter-in-place was ordered.”

“THAT’S WHERE YOU WERE?” Shannon yelled. “I wondered why you just said you were safe instead of saying you were home. Well, wasn’t that convenient,” she continued as she cocked her right eyebrow at her friend.

“Stop it! That wasn’t my plan if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

“I wasn’t suggesting anything.” Shannon put her arms in the air as if surrendering.

Recounting their night of HGTV, hot tea and failed dinner, Shannon asked the question she had been waiting not-so-patiently to ask. “So did you see anything? Touch anything?”

Allyson just laughed. “I think that discussion falls under the roommate code, even if it’s a temporary one-night roommate.” She knew the tease would push Shannon over the edge.

“Oh that’s bull shit, and you know it. Come on,” she said, just as annoyed as Allyson expected.

“Sorry,” Allyson shrugged. “But I can confirm that that man has some nice looking shoulders, arms and abs, and a nicely toned chest.

“Well then,” Shannon said as her lips curled into a smile. “OK.”

“Oh my gosh! Nothing happened!” Allyson said, laughing at her expression. “I slept in one room, and he was in another. He was still asleep on the couch when I got up. The blanket had just shifted in the night, so he wasn’t fully covered.”

She couldn’t help but giggle at the words coming out of her mouth. Whose life was this, and how did she get to live it?

At that moment, Allyson’s phone buzzed. It was JC.

On the plane. Thanks for a great time in dc. Ttyl

She smiled as she read the message.

“That’s him isn’t it?

Allyson blushed. “Yes,” showing her the phone. Shannon was going to see it one way or the other, so she might as well control the situation. “We left it as friends. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“OK fine.”

She would have left it there if Allyson hadn’t touched her cheek and smiled.

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” Shannon said.

She looked down embarrassed.

“Allie, come on, what happened?”

“Well, he did give me a kiss on the cheek,” she smiled.

“Wait, wait, wait! What?” Shannon blurted out shaking her head. “Burying the lead a bit don’t you think? So he did kiss you!”

“Well, technically, yes, but not like what you were suggesting. It was a sweet peck on the cheek as I got off the Metro to go to work and he went on to the airport.”

“Allie, oh my God! Are your feet back on the ground?”

“Not really,” Allyson said through her laughter as her smile somehow managed to get even bigger than it already was.

“You’re welcome. See, aren’t you glad I pushed you out there?”

“Yes,” Allyson said, rolling her eyes and laughing. “Oh, and actually, yeah, he told me to tell you thank you for that also.”

Shannon just smiled proudly and nodded her head.

It had been a few weeks since JC had left D.C., and Allyson sat on the couch after working a closing shift. She pulled up her computer, going to Facebook. A friend request and a poke awaited her, both from Bowie JSC. Odd, she thought. She didn’t know anyone who had just gotten Facebook. Everyone she knew either had it already or was adamant against it, and she certainly didn’t know anyone named Bowie.

She clicked on it and there was JC in a motorcycle helmet staring back at her. It was his personal page, and it was locked down tight. Of course, Bowie Joshua Scott Chasez, she thought. Her heart fluttered as she clicked accept.

*Ping* The website alerted her to a new message.

Took me long enough to find you. This is where all the cool kids are right? she reads.

She giggled. Yes, welcome to 2007.

Hey, I was doing just fine over on MySpace, thank you very much.

A few seconds passed and another message came through. I don’t use this page too much. It’s really just my way of connecting with people when I have to change my phone number.

Wow, does that happen often? I thought you didn’t give it out to anyone?

Oh you’d be surprised what people can find.

A wave of relief washed over Allyson. She started to think maybe she was not as special as he made her think having his number.

Well I’ll keep it safe. Glad to be friends with you, officially, JC.

Likewise.