“So anyway, we’re here so goddamn early cause you guys have some big freakin’ announcement or something right?” Alice directed at Bette and Tina who just looked at each other and smiled.

“Yes Alice we do have a ‘big freakin announcement’ as you so vividly described it and….” Jenny giggled at this, interrupting Bette. Everyone at the table stared at her. Jenny coughed and mumbled ‘sorry’ averting her eyes to her shoes so that Bette could continue. “After a lot of consideration and talking, Tina and I have decided to try again for another baby.”

Following many congratulations and support filled hugs most of the group had to depart by half nine due to work, writing or in Shane’s case some “unfinished business”. Alice just shook her head and chuckled at her heartthrob friend. Kit was called back to help work the morning rush hour leaving just Dana and Alice seated together at the table alone.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, don’t go Kit. Alice was trapped for sure now, Dana had already exercised and didn’t have to meet her trainer until eleven and Alice was working on her article of ‘the top 10 best restaurants that you don’t need to use a fork in’, from home on her laptop. There was no place she needed to be although any other place would be better than alone with Dana today.

Alice smiled sheepishly at Dana, still avoiding eye contact. “So don’t you have training or weights to lift or balls to smash?” Alice already knew the answer but if there was anyway out of her awkward situation she was going to jump at the chance and take it. Dana laughed at Alice’s ignorance on her schedule.

“Alice I don’t train 24/7, I can relax for a few hours and talk to my best friend. You seem a bit nervous or something, is everything ok?”  Alice braved looking Dana in the eye.

“No, I mean yeah, no, yeah, yeah everything’s fine, I’ve just got this article to be working on and Mark is on my case all the time about it and if I don’t get it done by the deadline I’m gonna have to come into the office all the time and be supervised like some rookie which I’m totally not so when he stops being an asshole then everything will be just fuckin’ peachy.” She quickly inhaled a well-needed breath and stared at Dana’s startled face at her outburst. Dana seemed to have bought it and just as she was about to ask Alice to repeat all of that but ten times slower her cell went off. Dana groaned. “Sorry Al I gotta take this, my agent’s trying to get me a sponsorship with Nike.”

“No its fine go ahead.” Alice gave Dana a big thumb up and cheesy all teeth showing grin. Dana shot Alice a look as if she’d just grown six Michael Jackson heads from her neck. As Dana walked outside The Planet for privacy, Alice let her head fall against the table and groaned, “fuck”. This really was not going as well as she had hoped.