Chapter 3
Bette:
"I pulled it off... I really did" I thought to myself looking around at all the people in my gallery... I lifted my drink to my ex-lover-but-still-good-friend Alice, a journalist who was now at the other end of the room talking to one of the artists. She lifted her glass also but soon her attention was back on her partner of conversation, Mary Stones, a very talented twenty-somewhat painter who was at the frontier of her succes. Everyone around me was talking and I thought to myself again "You did it baby ;)" when I saw Eric Parker make his way through the crowd at the door. Eric opened a gallery just about 3 months ago, when he and his girlfriend moved to LA from a you-never-remenber-the-name-cause-they-are-all-alike-town in the country. I was on her way over to welcome him when he stepped aside, showing me the most ravashing blonde beauty I had ever seen. Her lichtbrown, greenish eyes seemed locked to mine the first moment they connected. I saw all or her, the lovely little freckles she had tried to hide with make-up, The shape of her nose, the brightness of her hair, her vunarabilaty and yet her strenght were all in that first connection between our gazes... It felt like we were the only 2 in the room... all noises started to blur untill: "Hi Bette, I would like you to meet my girlfriend Tina Kennard" The string between her eyes and mine was hard to break but I had to... Girlfriend... this was the girlfriend he had been going on and on about... How sweet, lovely and beautiful she wass, untill I warned him to steel her away from him if he didn't stop talking about her so much... I felt the dissapointment wash over me... and heard the warning voice in my head "straight... AND taken!!!" But still I couldn't help feeling shivers running up and down my spine when she takes my hand and our eyes seem to reconnect. I felt her hand shiver in mine and hoping the tension I felt wouldn't be clearly heard when I stated:
"I've heard so much about you Tina" Well... at least thats the true... Eric went on and on about her... Well, who could blame him... If she was mine I probably couldn't stop talking about her either...
*Geezz Porter... where did that come from???*
Our eyes started to play that little game again called don't-let-go and the first time I heard her (little hoarse) voice I couldn't help thinking of is as extremely sexy.... "I heard a lot about you too..." From the corner of my eye I saw Eric starting to notice me staring at his girl... so I tried a little joke
"all lies I presume" and started smiling... Eric started to laugh and when I saw a little forced smile appear on Tina's face I felt the overwhelming desire to see a real laugh break through on that face...
*come one Porter... STRAIGHT! TAKEN!!!!*
All of a sudden I felt her grip tighten... What was happening? I saw her eyes were losing their connection with mine when she slowly drifted away...
It was like a slo-mo pic the way Tina's knees just kind of gave up on her... Eric and I grabbed her as she started falling and there Alice was with a chair (I told you she was a good friend...) telling Tina to sit down and put her head between her legs
*I would gladly be doing that for her*
I caught myself thinking, mentaly kicking myself after I thought it
"STRAIGH, TAKEN and fainting Porter... nice time to let your (as Alice would call it)"peeper" do the thinking for you."
I crouched to look Tina in the eye's and asked her very tenderly if she was ok... Alice looked at me wtih those big what-the-heck-are-you-doing-look... Ok... I guess I wasn't the most caring person in the world, I admit.... But I was really worried about this beauty now sitting in front of me.... Her eyes were ping-ponging between mine and Eric's who'd decided to crouch down next to me and when she started talking her voice sort of cracked " I'm really sorry... I haven't been feeling well today... I must be coming down with something" I felt my concern for her grow "Well.. are you gonna be ok... I mean... should I call a doctor or...."
Alice was behind me with some water (good friend? Best friend I tell you!) and handed it to Tina, who took the glass and drank all of the water at once... A drop of it slided through the corner of her mouth to her chin..
