Poison Oak: Chapter 2

Bette sat behind her desk at the CAC, reclining in her black, leather executive chair with one perfectly manicured hand poised dangerously over the phone, deliberating whether or not she should call Tina. This was a private battle that had been raging all morning, and Bette sighed impatiently as logic once again made its presence known and made her withdraw her hand into the safe haven of her lap. She leant back and drummed the fingertips of her right hand against the knuckles of her left, pensively chewing on her lip.

Nothing much had changed in the week she had been back at work. There had been no sudden light bulb illuminating her mind, no fresh wisdom that had unexpectedly dawned on her along with a new day. No, Bette was still a broken shell harbouring deep cracks that had been eroded gradually by the steady stream of tears that flowed through them. However she was a broken shell in a power suit, and she was confident that her impermeable armour would shield her from the blows of reality and not allow anyone to see the mess that hid underneath. And it was one morning roughly a week ago that this fragile creature had strode confidently into the CAC, the physical effects of her dilemma well hidden under a light cover of make up and a million dollar smile taking residence on her face.

So far the faade seemed to be working, everybody had just assumed this was the same old Bette Porter back doing what it was she did best. This past week Bette had begun to feel more like her old self; shed missed the feel of familiar territory under her feet and the addictive rush of success. Work had become her escape from her private life, a place where she didnt have to analyse herself, and here she was able to revel in the self-assurance her work provided. In this world she was allowed to be demanding and controlling, and these were considered positive attributes. But Bette realised somewhere along the line she had mixed it all up. She had thought that because she was justified in this behaviour at work that meant it would be accepted at home. All her problems had begun when she started bringing professional Bette home instead of Tinas Bette.