Title: Hollywood Ending

Category: RPFS, Lauren Graham/Marcia Cross

Rating: PG

Challenge: 15minuteficlets #97. Undeniable.

Disclaimer: I don't claim this is true. I don't own anybody in Hollywood, gay or straight.

*

It wasn't a question she could answer without lying, but she answered it anyway. She knew she'd catch flack from the people who knew and the people who thought they knew, but only the former mattered. And they understood, or at least pretended to.

Lauren, however, was annoyed, if not for the reasons that the rest of them were.

"Somebody should've wanted to know if I was gay, shouldn't they? But I get no phone calls. You deny it, so the story's over. How do they know I'm not dating some other woman? I could be."

Marcia poured her more wine. "But you're not."

"But they don't know that."

"Actually, they probably do."

"But, still. Someone should've called me for comment." Lauren sighed. "I will never be a desperate housewife, so no one will care about my position in the closet."

"My God. I can't believe you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous. At most, there's a twinge. Maybe. Sorta. I don't know."

Marcia leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her own glass. "This is a very relaxing night. Thank you for the guilt trip."

"I'm not guilt tripping. I'm just pointing out a fact. I am a less important Hollywood lesbian."

"You're a perfectly important Hollywood lesbian, and I can't believe I said that."

"I'm a little surprised myself." Lauren held her glass by the stem, rotating it. "I guess we can't be seen in public together anymore, right?"

"I don't see why not."

"Well, now people are going to be watching us. We're going to have to do the whole jokey, playing with the rumors thing and pretend to be fake lesbians. I'm not in the mood for fake lesbianism."

"Or fake heterosexuality?" Lauren didn't respond. "That's what's annoying you, isn't it? The same thing that's annoying everyone else." Lauren still didn't respond. "We agreed that denying it was for the best."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it." She smiled weakly. "Or my status as a middle-rung celebrity."

"Trust me, being a few rungs up isn't that great. Neither is having to lie."

Lauren bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

"So am I. But let's pretend we're not for the rest of the night."

Lauren's smile brightened slightly. "Sounds like a plan."

END