The Queer Connection

Synopsis: during brunch at the Planet, Shane, Bette, Alice, and Finley recall their night at Shane's housewarming party and all that it entailed. At another table, Micah, Sophie and Dani recap from the night before as well, both tables initially unaware that their stories inevitably intertwined like a spiderweb due to hookups, drama, and possibly, love.

—————————————————

They say a lot can change in ten years, and for Bette, Alice, and Shane, a lot had changed. West Hollywood wasn't the same as it had been before they had left. The neighborhoods were more expensive, the community was bigger and more diverse, hell, even The Planet was different, which was where they were meeting for brunch to catch up after last night's escapades.

Bette typed away on her smartphone while waiting for Alice, who paced through the door and wasted no time ordering a shot of espresso, then joined Bette at the table.

"Is Shane here?" she asked.

Bette gave Alice a "you know better" look. "No, but I told her nine-thirty so she would be here for ten."

Alice slouched in her chair and sipped her espresso. "How are you not hungover?"

"Self-control." Bette set her phone down. "I have an image to uphold now that I'm running for mayor."

Alice scoffed. "Okay, no need to rub your responsible nature in my face."

That's when Shane finally walked through the front door and headed toward her friends. She took a seat next to Bette on the couch and refused to take her sunglasses off due to her raging headache.

"Well good morning sunshine," Alice teased with a wide grin.

"Hmm," Shane grumbled.

"One more shot, please," Bette ordered from a nearby waitress. "Okay, so it seems Shane's housewarming party did both of you in."

"I'm fine," Alice defended as she finished her espresso. "But it seems our new homeowner over here, is not."

Shane just sipped her shot and combed her hands through her messy hair.

Across the restaurant, Finley, a new, young face that had recently moved to Los Angeles entered The Planet. She loved this café and came here often. It was also dangerously close to the film studio she worked at part-time.

The studio, she thought. Which I have to return to tomorrow and face Sophie, who I drunkenly made out with last night at Shane's house party.

The blurry memory made her cringe in embarrassment.

"Hey, isn't that your new assistant?" Shane asked Alice as her eyes fixated on the young blond woman.

Everyone turned their attention to Finley who was ordering at the counter. Alice grew excited.

"Finley!" she shouted. "Hey, Finley! Psst!"

Finley couldn't hear Alice over the restaurant chatter, but when she spotted a familiar curly-haired brunette sitting at a corner table, her heart jumped to her throat.

Of course, Sophie would be here, Finley thought. And she's with her roommates. They're probably talking about last night as we speak. I can't let them see me!

But Sophie had noticed Finley the second she walked through the door. It was hard not to, honestly.

"Finley!" Alice shouted again. "Hey! Blondie!"

Shane and Bette could only stare at her in embarrassment.

That's when Finley turned away from Sophie's table and spotted her boss frantically waving her over. Relief washed over her as she quickly made her way to their table to blend in.

Finley approached them. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"Oh my God, you're so sweet." Alice laughed, then noticed Finley's weird behavior. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"Are you massively hungover from the party, too?" Bette asked.

"Not necessarily." Finley sipped her coffee. "Someone's here that I wasn't expecting to run into."

"Ex?"

"Not quite."

"Hookup?"

Finley nodded.

Shane couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry, we've all been there."

"Yeah," Alice laughed. "Shane's been there a million times."

"Who is it?" Shane asked.

Finley pointed to Sophie who was facing their table.

"She's a coworker and a good friend. We uh..." Finley sighed. "We kind of made out at your party last night."

"Nice," Alice said.

"Well, you should go talk to her," Bette advised.

"Yes, totally," Alice agreed.

But after spotting who was sitting next to Sophie, Shane had other ideas.

"Do not go talk to her," Shane ordered. "Bad idea. Abort mission."

As Alice, Bette and Finley looked at Shane in confusion, Sophie watched the interaction in silence from her table.

"Guys," Sophie started. "I have to tell you something."

Micah, who was also dying to reveal the events of last night, leaned forward.

"What?" he asked.

"I may or may not have made out with Finley last night," Sophie revealed.

"Aren't you into her?" Micah wondered.

"I think so?"

As Sophie and Micah went back and forth, Dani couldn't help but scream internally. The fact that Shane was here, staring at her from across the restaurant, was driving her up the wall. If she decided to talk to her today, her secret would be out before she had a chance to tell her friends, and that couldn't happen.

"Sophie, Micah," Dani interrupted. "I also really need to tell you two something."

Her friends looked at her with worried expressions.

"Me and Shane also hooked up last night." Dani squeezed her hands together. "We've actually been sleeping together since she moved in across the street from us."

The table fell silent with the news. How had Dani managed to hide that from Sophie and Micah for an entire month?! The shock rendered them all silent for a few minutes.

"You've been hooking up with Shane?"

"Damn," Micah said. "Looks like we all had eventful nights, because I also met someone, and I'm pretty sure he's prince charming."

Sophie and Dani felt overwhelming joy for their friend. Ever since Micah fully transitioned six years ago, he had struggled to connect with someone. They took this as good news and congratulated him.

"That's great, Micah. What's his name?"

Micah laughed. "I actually don't remember."

Over at Shane's table, Alice and Bette had figured out why Shane was acting weird.

"You slept with that girl sitting next to Sophie, didn't you?"

Shane scoffed.

"You totally did!"

"Jesus Shane," Bette included.

"It never fails." Alice boasted. "Even after tenyears, we're still all connected. Oneway, or another."