“All right, deal. Hi I’m Ivan, lovely to meet Kit’s sister finally.”
Ivan stated, taking Bette’s hand and kissing the back of it, making
Bette smile. She was intent on giving him a real chance, not bull *****.

“I’m Bette, and I’d love for you and Kit to join me and Candace at Twilight tonight.” Bette offered and Ivan grinned,

“Absolutely.”

~*~*~*~*~*

Marina was halfway through the passage leading from her office to the
kitchen when she spied Bette and Ivan, sipping coffee and visiting like
old friends. That in itself was suspicious. Bette had never hidden her
distrust of Ivan’s intentions toward her sister. Even though said
intentions had been mutually consummated into a full-blown
relationship, Marina didn’t think of Bette as someone who forgave and
forgot very easily.

Still, the smile on her face as she chatted with Ivan seemed almost
sincere. Ivan was talking with his hands, nodding his head in that
courtly manner of his Marina couldn’t help but like him and she was
happy to see Kit with who treated her as if she were the only woman on
the earth. She’d had her fair share of losers in her life and it made
Marina smile to see her with someone so loving and adoring. Maybe Bette
was finally learning to let go of things she couldn’t control, and
realize that Ivan had nothing in his heart for Kit but love.

A smile played across her lips before the self-inflicted wound of
missing Jenny reopened. In those few moments of delay, all the courage
she’d summoned was gone, along with much of the nice Jack Daniels buzz
she’d had going. Her hands began to shake. She told herself it was the
whiskey. She was not a daytime drinker.

But she had become and done many things lately that were out of
character. She felt that sickening cold lurch in her stomach as that
inner voice began to recite them for her, starting with Jenny. A hard
lump formed in her throat and she swallowed hard once, twice, and yet
again; still the tears dampened her long lashes.

“I have to make this right,” she whispered to herself, “even if she leaves me for it.”
She pulled her coat tight around her, concealing her scant wardrobe;
only the boots would seem out of character to someone who knew her. She
walked softly out into the kitchen, hoping she could slip out without
being seen. But luck was against her. Bette stood up and began to walk
toward the counter. Marina took a step back into the alcove.