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Weho Days - part 1 - A Night at The Planet by halfofone
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Page 2
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"
Helena snorted in her drink and Alice looked mystified. "Female demon who seduces men," whispered Helena aside. Bette ignored the interruption.
"Anyway didn't you and Winnie sue each other for sole custody of Wilson and Jun Ying? What makes you the exception, or do our world's moral rules not apply to Peabodys?"
"Well as a 'fucking vampire and scourge of the universe', of course not," Helena agreed sweetly. Bette rolled her eyes. "Seriously I do regret my behaviour with Winnie but that's what I am trying to emphasise Bette. You're in the middle of a divorce and all the relationship shit is flying about; you can't see what is obvious to everyone else. Fighting for custody like two dogs over a bone is not going to work. You and Tina are going to have bring up Angelica with each other for at least another twenty years."
Bette stared at her as though that revelation was news. Helena resisted rolling her eyes.
"My mother put an end to the fighting with Winnie. She did for me what I am trying to do for you. I know it's not perfect and that you wanted more but for the moment it has to be enough."
Bette looked down at her hands, defeated temporarily at least.
Alice was still wildly curious.
"But I still don't see how you did it!," she demanded. "Tina was like a crazy lady just three days ago. I mean I thought she was going to pursue sole custody of me, Jenny and Shane too let alone Angie. She threatened I had to choose between seeing Bette or seeing her."
"I discussed some of her fears," Helena offered and then smirked when she saw Bette stiffen. Even now Porter obviously did not like the idea of anyone messing with her Tina. "Tina is as worried as you that she won't be able to meet Angelica's needs as a biracial child. Whatever you think of her Bette, she loves her daughter."
"I know that, but where does it leave me."
"Well at the moment you are the designated person to guide and protect Angelica from the cruelty and unfairness of this racially conscious world. Bette please try and be moderate; if you piss Tina off too badly then she is quite capable of going out and finding herself a nice black or biracial hunk to meet her baby's needs. So don't give her an excuse. Let everything calm down. Build co-operation. I convinced her that serving the papers was the result of a misunderstanding between you and your lawyers and that skipping out in the night with Angelica was a typical Bette Porter reaction to her threats - heartfelt and spontaneous were my words - overwrought and nutsoid were hers."
Bette downed another drink and then another.
Helena scrutinised her anxiously and decided that was enough nagging forone night.
"See Alice I am still arrogant and over-bearing. You're just used to me now."
Looking around, Helena accidentally made eye-contact with a particularly large black man sporting a sharp white suit and enough gold jewellery that it constituted a suit of armour. He grinned at her and two fine gold front-teeth caught the light. Helena hurriedly looked away.
"Alice, explain to me again why we came here tonight?"
Alice was still staring at Helena with an expression akin to hero-worship. Not only did the big H stand up to Bette but she had slain the Tina-dragon. It took her a few seconds to latch onto what Helena was asking. She blinked.
"To support Kit and to prowl. We are three fine single women and only the coolest hottest dykes come to Kit Porter's fabulous musical soirees!"
"I'm having a hard time seeing anything, much less prowling lesbians, amongst that wall of testosterone and bling," Bette observed.
"It'll be easier when people start dancing," Alice assured her, sounding too confident. "Just avoid anyone whose pants bulge."
"I can't wait," Helena murmured cynically. That got her a small shove from Alice which didn't seem to worry her unduly. "Not to worry Alice, I have always dreamt of becoming some gangster's moll," she added, deflecting Alice's ire with a charming grin.
A brief interlude in the conversation followed as all three women sipped their drinks and glanced about them. The crowd had become much denser and the noise heavier.
"Howya doing baby-girl?" Kit yelled bending down to wrap her arms around her sister and hugging hard. Bette twisted in her chair to return the hug and smiled affectionately up at her big sister.
"I'm doing okay Kit."
Both her companions noted that it was Bette's first real smile of the evening and envied Kit Porter's easy claim on her sister's love.
"Helena. Alice." Kit acknowledged them politely. "We are going to have some great music tonight," she exclaimed exuberantly, her eyes all lit up and dancing. Running a club was one thing and Kit enjoyed it but music was her passion.
"Lets hope you don't get raided by the police, Bette joked, though there was a hint of real concern in her voice. "Some of these guys look as though they might be closely acquainted with LA's finest."
"Don't you worry baby girl. These are my friends and they go nowhere without their lawyers." Kit laughed aloud. "We are well protected. And there won't be no-one troubling you three ladies tonight unless you want them to. My dear friend Aloysius has seen to that. Kit raised her fruit juice in salute to the big guy with the gold teeth who grinned and waved back at her."
"I did wonder how we managed to sit here for an hour and no-one came over."
"Worried you'd lost your touch?" her sister teased.
Bette shrugged and smiled weakly.
"Bette's had some good news today," Alice prompted. Kit looked expectantly at her sister whose smile had become forced.
"Tina is going to let me see Angelica. We haven't worked out the details yet." Bette's voice cracked a little. Kit knew to reassure her younger sister.
"That's good Bette. That's really good. At least you're talking." She put her arm around Bette's shoulders again while Alice and Helena both looked away; Bette's pain at the loss of her daughter was still raw.
"I know but it's been five weeks Kit...she'll forget me."
"She isn't going to forget her Mama B."
"She will if fucking Henry has anything to say about it."
"He doesn't," says Helena unexpectedly. "Henry is gone, back to the bourgeois 'burbs where he belongs. Apparently his bigotry was too much even for Tina. I think her exact words were 'I don't know where he gets off thinking he can reduce eight years of my life to a sad illness for which he is the only known cure'." Seeing what could be hope on Bette's face Helena added quickly "Don't get too excited Bette - she's still looking for a man." Bette lost the satisfied grin leaving only contempt twisting her fine features.
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