When their meals came not twenty minutes later, Dana couldn’t disagree. It was the best outing she had been on in a long time. Perfect food, perfect service and perfect company.

“So Al, I got to ask, have you been living in a fancy hotel for the past year?” Shane’s question seemed out of the blue to Dana, but after thinking about it she herself was curious. Alice had left LA last July, and yet she was staying at the Ritz… on a journalist’s wage?

Alice laughed. “Yes Shane, we journo’s can afford to live in luxury.” Alice‘s eyes suddenly moved to meet Dana’s. “John suggested that we buy a house, so I am staying at the hotel until that goes through.”

Although she felt like screaming and crying at the same time, Dana remained composed. “So you’ve bought a house?” she asked slowly, looking down at her food to break her gaze with Alice.

“No, not yet. He’s been in Europe doing work for his company and I’ve been busy with articles and such for the magazine. It’s been kind of hectic, you know?” Shane and Dana simply nodded, allowing the topic to die.

The night went on in similar fashion, with light conversation hiding the deeper topics that plagued everyone’s minds. Every once and awhile Dana would be caught by Alice simply watching her, and then that unwelcome, uncomfortable silence would set in once again, only to be hidden seconds later by trivial discussion usually initiated by Shane, who didn’t miss a beat in realising the intensity of the situation. After dinner the three moved onto a nearby club, where Shane wasted no time rushing off to get drinks. She returned temporarily ten minutes later only to leave Alice and Dana alone, having found someone that sparked her interest at the bar.

“I see Shane still a frigid *****,” Alice said casually as they watched her immediately start kissing a thin blonde. Dana couldn’t help but laugh at this typical Alice comment.

Their conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence as they watched the people in the club from their table. All the while Dana contemplated in her head what to say to Alice. After almost sculling her drink, she closed her eyes and asked her the question she had been longing to ask for so long.