"I didn't expect to see you for a while yet. I thought you were all wrapped up in some big project."

Athena stirred sweetener into her coffee and blew on its steaming surface, studying her friend over the rim of the cup. Under normal circumstances, even for a casual meeting like this, she knew Shannon made sure she was pulled together, neat jeans and a tailored blouse, thick blonde hair in its French twist, makeup in place. A habit she never seemed to break. Except today, when ...