Previously

“I didn’t mean to upset you darling.” The British accent seemed soothing.

“It was laying just beneath the surface. It was going to come out sooner or later.”

“Well then, I’m glad it came out and we talked about it. Promise me. You will talk to Bette tonight.”

“I will.”

Helena, left Tina’s office and Tina now feeling a bit spent decides to leave early and get home to relax before Bette gets there.

Chapter 3

The clock on Tina’s wall shows 7:45 and Bette should be there anytime. Tina was anxious and not necessarily in a good way. Tina knows Bette wants to talk and Tina knows that she needs to talk but, she’s not sure she’s ready to talk.

8:00 on the button and the door bells rings. Tina opens the door to see the familiar smile on Bette’s face. Bette holds out a bottle of wine, “Here, I thought this might help.”

Reaching for the bottle with one hand and wrapping the free arm around Bette’s shoulder, Tina kisses Bette lightly on the cheek. “Just wine. You think that will loosen us up enough to talk?”

“I hope so.”

Bette follows Tina to the kitchen. Tina sets the wine on the counter and opens a cabinet to retrieve two wine glasses. She sets them next to the bottle of wine. “No pleasantries, just down to the nitty gritty.” Tina was tense.

“Tina, how was your day?” Bette offers in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“It was fucking ridicules. I didn’t get anything done after lunch. The afternoon was a complete waste and I came home early.” Tina’s eyes danced with exasperation.

“I went home early too. The jet lag caught up and after lunch I was useless so I went home and took a nap.”

“So tell me about London.” Tina wants to divert the conversation from what Bette really wants to talk about.

Tina poured some wine and they talked for sometime about Bette’s trip to London and they spoke about their own trip there several years ago. The mood was light and the conversation was wonderful. The wine was starting to loosen both women up and they were sitting close and talking and touching each other.

“Tina, it’s time.” Bette looks down as she says this.

“Time for what Bette.”

“Time for us to get this all out in the open and decide what WE are going to do.

“Bette, there hasn’t been a WE in nearly a year. I am not sure that you can use that kind of inclusive language anymore.”

“T, as far as I am concerned, in the last eight years there has never NOT been a WE.”

“I don’t know how you can say that. We haven’t lived together in nearly a year. We barely spoke for most of that time. We are just now getting to the point where we can sit down and have a conversation. There has not been a WE in some time.”