Hey you guys! I know this took a while, but this chapter was much harder to write than I thought. I have no idea where this might go, but bear with me :D Thanks so much for the comments but the next part of the dinner will be out soooon xxx

When Abby left Carol and Therese's home, heart heavy and full of pessimistic thoughts, she clung on to the hope that Mary would call her again. I might have to do it, if she won't, Abby thought. She was never one to wait around for calls, and knew better than to let someone get under her skin- Carol was the first, and she wanted her to be the last.

But seeing Carol so happy, so content, made Abby want the same. She used to think that singledom was the ultimate freedom for her kind, and now, she was ready to chase a redhead and throw caution to the wind. Did she love her? Was she in love?

Perhaps.

There was infatuation and intrigue, but it was mostly a desire for companionship…and a degree of lust. She liked the attentiveness she felt when she was with Mary. After all this time, she wanted someone to come home to. It wasn't that she was starved for attention, but the usual person she would go to was Carol, whose attention would now always be divided by Therese. It wasn't like this when she was with Harge. Carol escaped the house to spend time with Abby, made excuses and skipped important meetings with Harge's co-workers. Now that Carol had a job, as well as someone she actually wanted to go home to, Abby could only really catch Carol in rare intervals. Or, they could always go back to her home, where she would be waiting for Therese or coming home to her. Not that Abby had anything to hide from Therese, but it simply wasn't the same. She wasn't jealous of Therese having Carol's love- but of her time.

She was determined to find out where this…"thing"…with Mary would take her. She was attracted to her, but Abby was never one to fall in love so easily. The difficult part was over. It was a waiting game now, and she was an expert player. Abby was used to waiting around for other women to come to terms with their latent attraction to her. She had brushed aside her feelings for Carol for many years until that one fateful night, where her patience finally paid off. It's going to take a while- it always did, but I have nothing to lose, she thought. Nothing at all. There was nothing waiting for her either.

The beginning of February saw slightly warmer weather, and the snow didn't fall as frequently or hard as before. It made for a rather romantic atmosphere. Sunday approached, and Genevieve planned to make a dinner for 6: Dannie, Therese, Lance, Therese, Carol, Abby, and herself. Therese talked about Sunday with so much anticipation, she hardly spoke about anything else. Carol would half-heartedly smile at this, for she wasn't sure if she was so happy to go to Genevieve's house for dinner. She didn't have a concrete reason for her unwillingness, but she simply did not like the idea of it. Carol made a mental note for ask Therese if she wanted to wear matching coloured outfits, then thought it might look silly. She spent her day at the furniture store completely distracted by the possible appearances of Genevieve, loathing the idea that she might be more beautiful, more charming, than she was. She tried to put her mind from it. Why was she feeling defensive?

Later that evening, Abby, Therese, and Carol drove to Geneveive's an hour before dinner was scheduled. Therese insisted that she try driving for half the route, and sped along the road with a devil-may-care speed. Abby made a gesture of the cross on her chest and made a false prayer while Carol laughed at the motion. When they arrived, Carol and Abby fled the car, happy to be on stable ground again. All Carol could do was look at Therese in a way that said, "Oh dear, how reckless you are. But I love you for it all the same." Therese was unfazed. She trudged onto the door. Therese lifted the knocker, which was crafted to look like a lion's mouth. Shortly afterwards, the great oakwood door swung open. Carol seemed to brace herself.

"Well aren't you just a group of superbly gorgeous ladies? Come on in! I'll tell Gen you guys are here."

A well-groomed blonde man answered the door, wearing an oxford shirt with suspenders. His hair was slicked back like a movie star, but had incredibly kind and dazzling eyes. He waved them in while he walked quickly towards the kitchen and gave a slight yell in a sing-song way.

"GEEEEEN! They're here!" Immediately, his attention shifted back to the three women, who were taking off their coats.

"Hello there, I'm Lance. I'm living with Geneveive at the moment. Oh, you ladies can put your coats over there."

He gestured expertly at a closet near the entrance, and Therese, Abby, and Carol were in awe of this pretty man in front of them. His voice had an effeminate quality- his movements clean cut and planned. They all realized: Lance was gay. One of those gay men whose sexuality blossomed in every pore of their being; their disclosure which was usually turned a blind eye to.

"Hi, I'm Therese. And this is Carol Aird." Therese was so used to introducing Carol this way to people, who always suavely accepted any handshake with great grace. She realized she was always eager to present Carol to people, proud to be the one that Carol was with.

"And this is Abby. A friend of mine." Carol turned towards Abby, who in turn did a mini salute to Lance. He took all their hands and kissed them just above the knuckles with a gentlemen's class.

"It's a pleasure. Come, come! Dannie is already here. Can I get you girls a drink?" Therese requested a glass of wine, and found Dannie in the living room, beer in hand, admiring the pictures of Geneveive in varying poses with interesting looking strangers. He silently greeted her, shyly introducing himself to Abby. His eyes trailed after Lance every time he entered and exited the room, like a neglected puppy who merely craved attention from his master.

Both Abby and Carol were given dry martinis, moving side by side in solidarity. Therese noticed Carol's tendency to stay next to Abby, and suddenly pulled Carol towards her, tugging her by the hand. Even indoors, in private quarters, Carol took her hand away from Therese, looking around in alarm.

"It's okay. You know it's ok." Therese's face looked dampened. Carol caught herself softening. She seized Therese's lingering hand.

"You're right. I'm sorry. It's habit."

Abby came behind Carol and put her arm over her back, stroking her shoulder with her fingers.

"Ya nitwit." Abby teased Carol for being so wound up. She knew that Carol was on edge because she was in Geneveive's house, whom she did not seem to like one bit. Then, the woman of the hour entered the room.

"Welcome my lovely friends. May Dorothy bring more of us together with every passing day!" She held a glass of wine high in the air, giving a toast to the room. Her eyes fell on Abby, which made her eyes narrow.

"Well, well, well, we meet again." It was a friendly tone.

"Indeed." All a sudden, there was electricity in the air.

"I'd remember a face like that anywhere. We met at…"

"The Sullivan's. At Warren and Freddie's anniversary party."

"Ah, yes. Abby Gerhard, wasn't it." Genevieve took a sip from her drink, never once looking away at Abby, who threw her a playful wink. The rest of the people in the room were merely flies on the wall.

hope you guys enjoyed and leave a comment or two ;)