Bette just sat there and let her leave.

“Aren’t you going to go after her?” Shane asked Bette, surprised that Bette would just let Tina leave like that.

“Why?” Bette asked,  “obviously she wanted to go home alone.”

“Maybe she wants you to come after her” Alice said.

“For the last time Alice,  shut up”

“Does anybody need drinks?” Kit asked, and headed for the bar, Alice right behind her.

“I feel sorry for Bette” Kit said, as she poured the drinks

“Why?, Alice asked, she’s a big girl she can take care of herself

“I’m talking about whatever she has going on with Tina, -It’s new to her”

“Define  “ It” Alice said

“A meaningful relationship, I suppose”

“A meaningful relationship? ,with a woman?, your sister?” laughing Alice got up off the stool.

“You think the notion is that ridiculous?”

“You know ,honestly, I used to think that as long as there was more than one living, breathing,  female alive on planet earth, Bette would never be faithful to just one,…but I think I have to agree with you on this one Kit .I think our Bette is smitten.”

                                                          ##

Bette was glad to see that Tina had not yet left, she was headed towards the bathroom. Bette caught her just as she reached the door and spun her around. “Why the rush to leave?”

“It’s getting late and I have to be home.”

“Come on Cinderella, it’s not even midnight “

“You’re not even being funny right now” Tina said seriously

“Why are you being so difficult?” Bette said pulling Tina into her

Tina deflected the kiss.  “Don’t”.  Bette could tell by her tone that she wasn’t being coy. She gazed into Tina’s eyes. “Don’t”, she repeated firmly, let me go”. Bette relaxed her embrace and Tina stepped out of it.

“Your sister and friends are wonderful, Bette, They have been very kind to me ,and I like them. They treat me with respect, And I won’t, because of some lapse in judgement in a parking lot, betray their consideration by playing your tramp.”

Bette’s body was pulled taut, as though by an invisible leash,.  “Where the hell is all this coming from? You’re not my tramp , I never thought of you that way. I never treated you that way. I know you like me, Tina that’s a beginning”

“We weren’t allowed a beginning” and with that she turned away towards the exit, never looking back.

“My , my. Wonders never cease”

At the sound of Alice’s voice, Bette turned around angrily, “what the hell is that supposed to mean? And how long have you been there?”

Alice stepped from behind the wall .  “There’s actually a woman who can say no to Bette Porter. My faith in women has been restored”

“Shut up Alice”

“Poor Bette, Alice ignores her and sighed theatrically. “She finds a woman she truly likes and she turns out to have the loathsome three”

“Loathsome three?”

“A brain, a conscience and an immune system “

“Sometimes Alice ,I swear, if I could get away with murder I’d kill you. “Bette said and took the same exit Tina did earlier.

When she got to the parking lot Tina’s car was gone. “you can run Tina,  but you can’t hide. You are not getting away this easily” Bette promised  ,as she head towards her own car.  “Fuck Jody” Bette sighs. “ This was not how my night was supposed to end.”