Jenny smiled giddily as they walked towards the door of the restaurant. It was some new restaurant that the reviewers had raved about. It apparently had singing waiters, and not in the hokey, “we need a gimmick” kind of way, but instead with professionally trained singers who waited tables as well. She glanced up from her hand laced with Shane’s and noticed Carmen stepping out of a silver car with a woman she didn’t recognize. She frowned and dropped Shane’s hand, causing her friend to glance up and notice the Latina. This was one of the things she had noticed right away about the “framily.” They always had an uncanny ability to know where not to be and show up there. Like when she had been at the restaurant with Tim, Randy, and his wife and they had walked in with Marina. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were purposely trying to push the two back together or if it was an honest accident. Either way, she knew somebody would end up crying tonight. Bette gently pulling on her arm, gesturing to get Jenny to follow her inside, snapped her out of her reverie. She smiled and followed her friend into the restaurant. She took a couple seconds to look around and noticed that the space was not very big, and she suddenly cursed the fact that she had insisted on making reservations. She looked to her right and saw a wooden, beautifully crafted bar, and, looking down a little ways, saw that there was a little more area in the dining space thanks to a small corner where a group of people were waving at the woman Carmen had been with. Beyond that was a stage and a door, obviously to the kitchen and bathrooms. The woman waved back, and turned to the framily.

“Hi. I know this probably isn’t appropriate, but I figured I’d introduce myself anyway. I’m Mercedes.” She smiled entreatingly and held out her hand.

Tina shook it first, then the rest of them as they rattled off their names.