Hannah didn't even know that an election had been called until Sacha told her. She'd slept in on Saturday morning and had missed the whole announcement. She expressed surprise because she was still sleepy, but when Shelly came over a couple of hours later she confirmed it.

Later that day Hannah and Shelly were watching the T.V., trying to find something on that wasn't sport, when Julia Gillard came on; it was a repeat of her press conference to announce the date of the election.

"Reckon she's one of us?" Hannah said.

"Listen to you, with your solidarity all of a sudden" Shelly teased her.

"Seriously, though" Hannah said, pushing through with her line of thought and ignoring Shelly. "I mean she's not married -"

"She's shacked up with a bloke!" Shelly laughed.

"A hairdresser" Hannah pointed out.

"God, Hannah!" Shelly stared at her, amused but appalled at the same time. She folded her arms across her chest. "Anyway, so even he is just cover, what's the benefit if they're not married?"

"Appearances" Hannah shrugged. "I dunno, I'm just asking."

"Anyway who cares" Shelly said. "So what if she is, so what if she isn't. If she does the job then who cares. If she's a good Prime Minister then who cares."

"I'm not saying anyone should care" Hannah said. "I don't care, fuck knows. I'm just wondering out loud."

Shelly relented, and put her arm around Hannah. "Just Saturday talk."

"Yeah" Hannah said. "Just Saturday talk."

"Anyway she isn't" Shelly said emphatically.

"How do you know?"

"She's Welsh!" Shelly exclaimed. "And who ever heard of a Welsh lesbian?"

Now it was Hannah's turn to stare for a moment, and then she burst out laughing. "You know, so much of everything you say is so smart, and then sometimes you say something that's just so dumb, and it just gets me. It just gets me."

Shelly shrugged. "It's why you love me, I guess."