Henri forced a smile, "yeah," he replied. "I've been meaning to ask you something," he tried to change the subject before she started talking about how she thinks one of them is stealing her jewelry.

"Go ahead," she answered.

"Well, I was wondering if it'd be alright if my girlfriend came to the party on Saturday?"

Renee laughed, "Henri, do you really need to ask?" She rolled her eyes, "why wouldn't I want my sister-in-law there? And it's not a party, it's just a little get together."

Henri knew his girlfriend, Willow, was the younger sister of Renee's husband, Erick. He also knew that Renee wouldn't mind if Willow came, he was just trying to build up to what he really wanted to talk to her about. "Oh, right," he replied, tapping his palm on his forehead, "I wasn't thinking," he lied. "Wait," he said after, just then catching her lost comment, "Renee, you invited everyone in the building."

I swear, sometimes I think I'm the only one with a brain around here. "Yeah, yeah," she replied, still convinced it wasn't a party. "Is that all?" she asked, now looking down at her fingernails.

"Well," he began, "I also wanted to ask you-"

"Do you think my nails look different?" she asked, cutting him off, before holding out her free hand toward Henri. "The woman that did them... I swear she did them wrong on purpose because she thinks I'm better looking then her," she continued on, "but usually she does much better work."

Henri looked at Renee for a moment before looking at her fingernails quickly. "Uh, well," he couldn't see what she was talking about, they all looked the same to him.

"Nevermind," she chuckled before bringing her hand back toward her, "you're a guy, of course you can't tell. Why'd I even ask?" she took another sip of her drink, smiling now.

"Oh," he replied. Is she drunk? it's just barely noon.

"You know," she laughed, "I do know why I asked," she said as she looked back up at Henri from her seat. "I'm going to be honest for a moment, I always thought that you," she paused for a moment, "well, I always thought you were gay." She laughed afterword, Henri adding an uncomfortable, short laugh in chorus with hers. "Silly me," she added.

Henri, know rubbing at the back of his neck uncomfortably, "it's funny you say that," he began again. "I was going to ask if I could bring someone else to the party."

Renee shrugged one of her shoulders, "Henri, I don't mind who you bring; show up with as many friends as you want."

"Renee," he continued, "I want to bring my boyfriend to the party."

Renee's eyes were suddenly stuck on Henri's, silence falling between them. He what? she thought before looking down at her glass. Downing the last of her beverage, she looked back to Henri, "you have a boyfriend?"

He nodded in response.

"But," she retaliated, "I thought you were dating Willow?"

"I am," he contended.

"So... you're dating two people?" she concluded.

He nodded again, "yes."

"Does Willow know you're dating a..." she stopped herself, "does she know you're dating someone else?"

"Well, that's uh," he laughed nervously, "she's... she's dating him too."

"Willow is dating your boyfriend and you too?" the question flowed out of her mouth before she even had the chance to process what he'd just said. "You're all dating each other?"

"Yes," he answered. "More or less."

Renee blinked a few times, she didn't quite understand the mechanics of such a relationship. She downright didn't understand it. "Well... well that's..." I need another drink, she thought to herself. "He can come," she replied.

Henri ran a hand through his hair, "alright," he said. "Alright, I better let you get back to your decorations," he suggested. I can't ever tell mom and dad.

"Yeah, yeah ok," she replied. "I probably should get back to this."

"Alright..." he said slowly as he backed away from her before darting toward his bedroom. I need a cigarette.