Tina parked in her usual spot and for a few minutes after she had switched off the engine she sat and thought about what was ahead of her. It was only 5:30am but she had a plan and that plan called for a few hours in the office alone. She had the keys and knew the combination for all the codes. She had worked weird hours in the past and was banking on no one else being around so early.

Her cold still lingered but she was clear in her thinking – she would play it by ear but she didn’t expect to be employed much longer. She had raged against the unfairness of it, she had cried and cried some more. But now she was oddly calm – in the words of the great philosopher Doris Day – Que Sera Sera. Tina would deal with whatever hand she was dealt by a spiteful Helena.

She spent 90 minutes sorting out her office- Helena had been known to have security throw

people out of the building with barely 20 minutes notice. Tina wasn’t going to be unprepared. She packed boxes with her personal belongs and loaded them into her car, then she shredded a lot of items and finally she downloaded several files that might be advantageous to her if she was no longer in Helena’s employment and put the flash-drive in her car for safe keeping.

By 7:30 her office was just that – an office – no longer a personal and professional work space. And if she did stay with the company at least she had de-cluttered the place which she never had the time to do normally. She set the coffee machine running and went back to deal with her emails. Well – point one – at least she could get into her account – Helena hadn’t cancelled that. She deleted several hundred emails that she didn’t need before getting down to some actual work.

She worked quietly and without fuss until 10am when the door opened and Helena walked in. Tina glanced up at her and held her breath

“I met your girlfriend last week “

“I heard “Tina said pointedly

“Did she play you that tape?”

“Yes “

“Of course I knew it was there all the time – it was purely for your benefit. There were things that happened after the tape stopped if you know what I mean “

“Try spelling them out “Tina challenged

“She is insatiable – she needs a woman who knows how to take care of her needs “

Tina laughed “Helena- you are so full of crap “

“She is fond of you - she admitted that but “Helena pulled a face “You are just not enough –

it’s not your fault Tina. In time you will get the skills and you will be able to satisfy a woman – but not Bette - I will be taking care of her by then. Don’t be sad – I will take good care of her “

Tina shook her head “Try something else Helena – this is a very weak effort on your part “

“You really believe that you can keep her?”

“That’s the plan “Tina replied “Monogamy and commitment and being happy – that’s what we are aiming for “

“That might be what you are aiming for but Bette is far too high maintenance for you”

“Says you”

“How can you doubt me Tina – again I don’t blame you – she is divine but you don’t have the

skills or the experience to look after someone that well -- high class “

“Because I am a small town girl made good?” Tina sneered

“Well if you want to put it that way “

“Does it mean nothing to you that I love Bette and she loves me “

“She doesn’t love you – she told me that – she feels sorry for you “

Tina had been expecting Helena to fight dirty but that was an unexpectedly early low blow. She didn’t let her face show any angry or hurt at the words

“Interesting “Tina said making as if it was anything but “she thinks you are – now what were her words – ah yes – an amoral pole cat “

Helena face did flush at that one – she was thin skinned if you knew where to aim the blow – and Tina did and she intended to use her knowledge of her former friend’s weak spots.

“Just trying to get what I want “

“And you don’t care who you step on “it was a comment not a query

“I am sorry for your hurt “

“I am not hurt “

“But you will be when Bette tells you that she has fallen for me”

“When and if it happens I will deal with it “Tina replied “Until then we will go on being happy and having lots of sex. I wouldn’t book a date to introduce her to Peggy just yet “

Tina could see that Helena had expected her to just roll over. She had no intention of rolling anywhere - she was calm about no longer working for Helena – if she stayed it would be a bonus and maybe something that she didn’t want.

“Do you think that you satisfy her – is that the reason for your optimism?”

Tina smiled “She didn’t have any complaints last night “

“She’s obviously good at hiding it “

“Why is it so hard for you to think that I cannot make Bette happy and one what do you base this notion that she’s going to leave me?”

“When did you ever date anything other than losers?”

“About as much as you do – but every dog has his or in my case her day. I am Bette’s lover. Now if she decides that she doesn’t want to be with me then I will deal with that. But I promise you that it will not be because of you and your devious little tricks”

“And what if I tell you that I want you to step aside “

“I will tell you where to stick your request “

“What if it’s not a request “

Tina laughed “So I only keep my job if I walk away from Bette?”

“Pretty much – in fact I know that things are hard for you at the moment – lets increase your pay “

“How much?”

Helena thought she saw a chink in Tina’s defences

“An extra – mm - $25,000 a year “

“That’s not much when I have to find a new place to live “

“30,000 “

“35,000”

“Okay “

“Can I have this in writing?”

“What do you want?”

“A new contract “

“I’ll go and get one drawn up “

Helena beamed her most beautiful and self satisfied smile

“It’s for the best “

She departed grinning at how easy it had been to get Tina to back down. The next thing would be dissuading Bette of the unfortunate opinion she had of her – maybe Tina could put in a good word or three?

Helena lingered chatting to another one of the executives who worked on the same floor as her. She ordered her secretary to send Bette Porter a huge bunch of flowers; she even emptied the coffee maker and refilled it herself. That had been satisfying even though it had been child’s play.

In a mood of extreme smugness she finally got back to her desk. She read a couple of items in her in tray – she reached for the next one which was a white envelope. She opened it and read it