(Strip Number 7153, Original Publication Date, 4 March 1984)
Panel 1: We find Anne and Elly at a restaurant downtown; as they wait to be seated, Elly points out that one-off characters Loretta and Gail are already there.
Panel 2: A red-haired woman sitting next to an ambiguously brown one waves and says Yoo-hoo. (Since we never see these two again, it doesn't really matter which one is Loretta and which one Gail. That being said, I'm going to follow what Lynn says and right to left namewise.)
Panel 3: As they read the menus, Gail says that she thinks that "lunch with the girls" was a terrific idea. Elly and Loretta both agree.
Panel 4: Loretta sets up the punchline by asking Elly where Connie is; Elly says that she's going to be a bit late.
Panel 5: Gail furthers the story by asking if Connie is still dating that Ted person; Annie says yes, she is despite his standing her up the week before.
Panel 6: Gail says that Connie could do a lot better, Elly agrees, Loretta says that Connie has rescue fantasies and Anne says that Connie needs rescuing.
Panel 7: Elly allows as how Ted is just like domineering jackass Pete Landry and Loretta starts to ask if Connie sees this.
Panel 8: She and the rest drop their line of conversation because Elly has spotted Connie; the four of them wave Connie over to their table.
Panel 9: As she gets seated, Annie tells Connie that they were just talking about her.
Summary: While I have my suspicions about who's going to get a scraping this time around, I wonder if Annie/Elly/Loretta/Gail realizes that if she were the one running late, the other four would be equally eager to discuss her failings.