"Helena, you look fine. Relax."

Helena patted her hair and straightened the bow on the pastel box in her hands for the fifth time since she and Alice had left the house. Alice rolled her eyes and tossed her hair out of her face. She glanced down at the chipped casserole dish she held in her own hands. Helena believed presentation was everything, but Alice was more inclined to believe that it was the thought that counted. Most of the time. Suddenly insecure about what she had chosen to bring to the dinner, Alice began to wish she had bothered to find a better dish, or at least one with a cover. The wrinkled tinfoil she had used in place of a lid had a bit of burnt cheese on it.

"I can’t help it, Alice, I’m a bit nervous." Helena stopped in her tracks before Bette and Tina’s house and Alice paused with her, facing her friend. "This is the first time I’ve dined with Bette and Tina in their home, and I want to make a good impression."

"Impression?" Alice squawked. "Don’t be ridiculous, Hels, it’s just Bette and Tina. They’re our friends. We’ve seen them naked.  They’ve seen us naked. And they don’t care any more about how you’re dressed or what you bring than I do."

Helena smiled faintly and appeared to be calmed by the pep talk. Alice felt that she was right, as usual.  She watched Helena’s smile fade, to be replaced by a frown.  The other woman wrinkled her nose, leaning forward and sniffing delicately at the mysterious dish Alice had prepared earlier that day. Helena had gone the extra mile in whipping up her special dessert, fussing about the kitchen and bemoaning the fact that she couldn’t make anything with margarine, but Alice hadn’t extended any extra effort and was only bringing this contribution to be polite.

"Alice,” Helena began, “you never told me what you were cooking earlier. What is that?"

"Oh, this?" Alice beamed. "I call it Bean Bake Surprise. You’ll love it; now come on." She pressed her car key to engage the automatic locks on her Mini, ignoring Helena’s dubious expression.  She then turned on her kitten heels and strode purposefully down the path towards the door.