Their morning went quickly, and surprisingly smoothly.  They found a set of spherical tables and sculptural chairs, made of dark coppery metal and fiberglass, which bent in a continuous line and reclined back. Helena placed more on order, but the few chairs and tables she did find in stock were to be delivered later that day, and would be sufficient for the small group invited that night.

Grocery shopping in the afternoon was another matter all together.  Jenny and Alice got into a shouting match over lesbian drinking habits when Jenny insisted that they buy pink champagne only. Alice threatened to break a bottle of pink champagne over Jenny’s head when the argument intensified, and Jenny called Alice a ‘faux lesbian with bisexual habits.’

“Lesbians only drink pink champagne, but you’re not a real lesbian, so you wouldn’t know that.” Jenny stated absurdly.  Shane had her arm around the smaller woman’s waist, while Helena kept hold of Alice. 

In the early evening, they decided that a drink would be the best remedy for the argument.  They drank in the café’s kitchen while Helena prepared food. Shane actually drove quickly back to Helena and Bette’s to pick up a change of clothing for her, wanting desperately to be the designated stylist for the evening.

When Shane arrived again with a short black dress and a pair of black boots, Helena arched an eyebrow.  The little crush that Shane had developed on her occasionally manifested in things like this. “am I dressing for this party my dear, or for you?” She whispered in the lanky woman’s ear.

“Umm..oh..hey, sorry Helena. I also brought another pair of jeans and a tank-top and jacket combo.” Shane said sheepishly. Helena nodded and gestured for that option to be pulled out. But she gave Shane a kiss on the cheek for her efforts.

“I like it here.” Jenny said with a smile. She and Alice were back on speaking terms after Shane made Jenny apologize. They sat together in the kitchen, getting slowly drunk on champagne—pink and the normal stuff—then switched to red wine, and were soon giggling about fan fiction ideas for their latest favorite television show. 

“Oh puleeeese, there is soooo much subtext between those two.” Alice snickered. “Meredith and Christina…rrrrrrrr…hot lesbian doctors…”

“You think there’s subtext between everyone.” Jenny shrieked with laughter and smacked Alice’s arm, drawing a bit of a growl from her. “Shane and Helena, me and Bette, you and…everyone…”

“What????” Alice tried to shush her then ushered her out of the kitchen instead.

Just for that, Shane quietly decided, she would have to pick up at this little lesbian party tonite and get the hell away from these women. She looked sheepishly at Helena, but the Brit was being discrete and pretending not to have heard all of Jenny’s words.

Two hours later, the rains came harder, and the lesbians followed with it. With the food prepared and out on tables (corn fritters were Helena’s sudden obsession and she made them stuffed with vegetables and cheese, then left a few platefuls plain with a chipotle sauce drizzled over top), she moved around the room, paying special attention to Bette when she arrived looking exhausted, then let the social scene take care of itself for a while.