Megan and Phoebe return to the hallway

"I'm back!" said Megan. "So sorry. Abbie and Jake, thank you for helping out." She turned to Phil, and then to Staci. "Just some ... some chaos in the kitchen."

"Now that you're back," said Staci, "perhaps I can take Abbie and Jake into the party?"

At that point, Phoebe caught up to Megan, continuing what was probably part of a conversation from back in the kitchen, though clearly Megan had gotten too far away to hear most of it.

"... but I guess it's going to only be three trays now after all," concluded Phoebe. As she arrived, Staci gave her a strange look. "You all have no idea what I'm talking about, do you."

Megan turned to her. "No. Three trays of what?"

"It doesn't matter."

There was a bit of an awkward silence. Staci finally broke it.

"I never know who knows who or who knows what," Staci said. "Megan is Phil's sister. Phoebe is Megan's girlfriend. And this is my cousin Jake and his girlfriend Abbie."

Abbie smiled. "Jake and I met Megan and Phoebe earlier this morning." Phoebe winked at Abbie, and Phil was the only one who saw it. He shook his head, unsure of what it might have meant.

Jake glanced at Abbie when she spoke, but he was looking at Megan and Phoebe. In his mind, he played back some of the memory of their escapade in the pantry. They stood right here, fully clothed, showing no indication of the sexual liberties they shared just minutes earlier -- but Jake kept seeing them both completely naked in his mind's eye.

"What, um ... what is going on in the kitchen?" asked Phil.

"They miscounted an ingredient, and now there are --" Megan started to explain.

"Honestly, I don't think I want to know," Staci said. "I'd like to imagine the party is going perfectly."

Megan quietly finished the sentence under her breath. "-- only three trays of salmon croquettes instead of four."

"You're doing a great job, Meg," said Phil, hugging his sister lightly. "Thanks for your help." As he hugged her, he furrowed his brow. "Are you feeling okay? You seem warm."

Phoebe reached over and touched Megan's face. With a slight smirk, she said, "he's right, you do feel warm."

Megan scowled at Phoebe, but quickly turned back to Phil. "I'm fine. Thank you, though."

"I'm just worried about you. You also look a little flush. Doesn't she look flush, Stace?"

Staci looked over at Megan. "I don't know. Maybe?"

Phoebe sighed. "I've only seen Megan look like that after sex."

Abbie snickered quietly, and Jake put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.

"Phoebe!" scolded Megan.

Phoebe shrugged. "What? I'm just saying. I know your face pretty well, and I've only ever seen it flush like that after sex."

Phil shook his head. "I don't need to, uh ... I really don't need to know this."

"Let's think, Megan," said Phoebe, thoroughly enjoying the tease. "When did you last have sex, can you remember?"

"Oh god, no ..." Phil covered his ears. "Please, just ... look, I'm going back inside." He quickly escaped into the ballroom.

"Phoebe, I swear to god, if you don't stop --" Megan began.

Phoebe smiled at Abbie. "Was it yesterday? A week ago?"

"-- whenever it was, it'll be the last time you have sex."

Staci laughed. "You are both hysterical. I have no idea what game you are all playing, but as long as it doesn't interfere with greeting the guests, you enjoy yourselves. I'm going back inside."

Abbie and Jake glanced at each other. Staci caught their attention too.

"Come on, let's go back inside and leave Megan and Phoebe alone." Staci held out her hand to Abbie, and Abbie reached forward and took it in her own. As Staci led Abbie and Jake into the party, she immediately started pointing at people and vaguely describing who they were. "My uncle ... my friend from childhood ... that's some guy I've never seen before ..."

As they disappeared into the ballroom, Megan was even more flush than before -- out of embarrassment -- and Phoebe was both consoling her and giggling at her.