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The Thawing of the Ice – Chapter Twenty
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She rushed ahead of Bette to open the car door for her and received a confused yet amused look from Bette for doing so.
"Thanks, Tina," she said.
"You’re welcome."
Tina slid into the driver’s seat and they headed out of the driveway and down the street. They started in companionable silence. Tina had been anxious about this day, eagerly anticipating the time with Bette. She knew they weren’t ready to move past friendship, but part of her felt calmer with Bette in her space.
A romantic relationship could wait.
At least that’s what she told herself.
"This is a role reversal," Bette finally said.
Tina smiled. "I guess it is. Me driving and you in the passenger seat."
"And you opening doors for me," Bette replied, her eyebrow raised.
Tina chucked. "Yes, I opened the door for you. Not a big deal. Just wanted you to know that I really appreciate you coming out with me. I wanted you to get star quality treatment."
Bette smiled politely and then her gaze turned toward the window. She wondered why she was getting start quality treatment now. Where was this star quality treatment when she and Tina were together?
Tina could sense a change in the mood, but hoped that it would pass.
When she pulled into the parking lot of the theater, Tina asked "Bette, is everything okay?"
Bette nodded. "Everything’s fine."
"Then why won’t you look at me?" Tina asked.
Bette sighed and met Tina’s gaze. "Every thing’s fine."
"You’re sure?"
"I’m sure, Tina. Let’s go. I still have popcorn to get," Bette replied.
The feeling of being sure, of being secure and confident was foreign to Tina at this point. And given Bette’s demeanor, she very seriously doubted that everything was okay between them.
They made it inside and ordered a large popcorn with butter and two large drinks. As they took their seats in the middle row of the theater they had time to kill before the previews started. Bette wanted to feel more comfortable than she did. She’d rationalized this outing and told herself that it was best for them to hang out in order to have the best possible parenting relationship with Tina. And now that they were sitting together, nibbling on popcorn, Bette felt like her skin was crawling.
She did miss Tina. She missed simple things like sharing a large popcorn at the movies. But it had been so long since they had been able to sit down without hating one another that everything felt forced.
Bette sighed and asked, "How are you doing with the whole break up? Everything okay?"
Tina cleared her throat. "I’m good. Really good."
"What does ‘really good’ mean?" asked Bette.
"It means….I made the right decision and I’m happy with the way I handled the situation."
Anxiety began to flood through Bette’s body. Images of “irritated Tina”, “dismissive Tina”, “condescending Tina”, and “belittling Tina” flashed in her mind. She couldn’t forget that Tina had been tired of her. Tina had slipped through her fingers.
Is this how she felt about me? Bette wondered. Is this what she told Henry about me? That she was happy with the way she handled the ‘situation’? Was I a ‘situation’ to handle?
As the anxiety took over and the worry began a rousing chorus in her head, Bette excused herself and stood to go to the restroom.
"I’ve gotta run to the bathroom," she said.
Before Bette could move, Tina reached out and placed a hand on Bette’s wrist, her eyes pleading with big brown chocolate ones, "Bette, please talk to me. What did I do? What did I say? Please don’t shut down."
This Tina wanted to avoid passive-aggressive responses. She wanted to openly communicate. Bette’s eyes spoke words the brunette refused to voice. And there was so much Bette wanted to say. There was an array of emotional hurts and disappointments crisscrossing her thoughts. But she found herself unable to funnel her emotions into words and instead, she pulled away from Tina.
"Restroom. Be right back," she said, before disappearing down the stairs and out of Tina’s sight.
Tina huffed and shook her head. "Fuck," she whispered, chewing absently on a few puffs of corn.
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wow great chapter! tina should just tell bette how she feels it and i sounds like she knows she should but is just scared.ppvs im getting hooked
very believable. I was getting antsy at the thought of this evening as soon as Tina opened the door. Not a date? Oh Tina, you can’t just discard people and pick them up again like playthings. Please girl – go get some help and leave Bette alone. Bette is absolutely right to get away from T – right now she’s toxic. And I say this as a die hard Tibetter. PPS!!!
Tina just please tell Bette how you feel. I still think they can be together…and I believe that Tina can explain herself to Bette. Bette will see that she can trust Tina. I hope.
Tina should not be clueless of bette’s behavior. This woman was deeply hurt by her. It is so awkward to watch movie together like nothing has ever happened before. Tina made a bad move. She should at least have serious talk with bette first and apologize for her bad judgment and terrible behaviors, show some sincerity and regrets. Let bette know she has done a lot of serious thinking about their relationship.
Bette has firsthand experience of how Tina handles situations and Tina seems to have no clue and really no regard or respect for the people she leaves behind. Thanks for a great story.
I know it make take a little bit for Bette to move past Tina’s behavior of late, but I still hold out hope that she will “thaw” and they will find their way back together stronger than ever before. PPS
Many writers have described Bette and Tina’s reconciliation the way Spumoni did in the past, but I didn’t mind. It’s fiction, right? Fiction.
Tina trying to convince herself that this wasn’t a date is a good move towards the right direction because it’s too early for them to be dating, it’s good for her wanting to make everything perfect because it’s an indication of how much she values their relationship but I’d like to remind her that perfection is rather an utopia, people can only tend to and near it. Some of Bette anger and hurts are rightful but I trust that the intelligent woman she is won’t stay in the victimization state of mind and would be able to see the different aspects, causes and results behind these feelings. Both women made mistakes and both are also maturing and learning how to deal with failures and mishaps in their personnal and professional lives. Bette knew success right from the start as an art dealer, head of an art galery as well as an “alpha” succesful player, so for her to encounter failure almost simultaneously in both areas must have been horrible and personality’s shattering but also a force towards better times. Not only Bette was Tina’s first woman but she also seemed to me lacking experience in life and that Eric was maybe her first adult relationship too, encountering miscarriage, cheating, work’s challenges and after birth raging hormones must have been gruesome, in one night she had to mature, be a mother and a breadwinner that’s a breaking or building of a character. Talking is definitely on the menu between them as long as it’s not a monolog or self justification but rather explanation. They share the same values, sense of beauty and IMO their love and “marriage” are like the ones described in “The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran, the ones making of soul mates. Back to the time being, Bette can’t compare Tina’s reactions to her to the one with Henry’s, not only because of the different time frame and situations but also because of their different personalities, Henry is calm where Bette is fiery and impatient which made it difficult for Tina to talk to her (that was one of the major difficulties Tina mentioned on the show)… What did you mean by you comment about Helena? For me, early S4, she was still selfish, spending above her means, still waiting for a lucky change of fortune but what made me like her is her good heart because I hated her prostituting herself because she wasn’t “cut to live modestly” as she explained to Papy why she’s accepting moving her girlfriend things and taking her orders to separate and fold her underwears, that made me cringe. I don’t think Bette would agree with that or her thinking that children are “sexual creatures”… Read you soon.
tispubette, lol! The non-date has started badly… I don’t think Tina’s going to wise up any time soon. She’s plowing right ahead, whether Bette’s really receptive or not. Girl needs to step back and take a look at the bigger picture, and since Bette can’t seem to communicate that to Tina, maybe someone else should. Thanks for the post, MTS! :)
Glad Bette removed herself from a potentially combative situation, a movie theatre is no place to discuss serious problems and Tina should know better and not push Bette to explain herself in such a public place. This going to the movies was domed from the start, and Tina acting as if she were on a date with Bette is going to make a bad situation worse. Tina can deny it all she wants but for her this is definitely a date, whereas for Bette it was a means to get together with Tina to see if they could start something like a friendship to better co-parent Angie. In the process they are both uneasy with each other and it will only serve to push them further apart. I also understand Bette’s comparison of Tina handling her break-up with Henry, at least she had the decency to sit down with Henry and talk, something she never really granted Bette. The last time she just confessed having feeling for men after Bette caught her a chat room, for her then going after men, without second thought about Bette’s feelings. Perhaps Bette could have handled this confession in another way, but there was little she could have done about Tina’s feeling for men and I think by that time she had somehow given up on them ever reconciling their relationship, especially after the rollercoaster she just went thru with all that happened after her affair. Think I’m going to stop here, great update and thanks for posting.
Fabulous update I am looking forward to more talking between B&T.
Dunno why Bette went out with Tina in the first place but very believable chapter. If they wanted to work on their friendship think going to the movies in not the way. And love how you portray Bette’s toughts and emotions, think it’s the realistic insight on what would everyone think if they were in her position…Also there’s a lot to be resolved, Tina moved on and I reeeeally believe Bette shouldn’t give her easy way in. Bette tried to make amendements after Candance and Tina with her recent actions, Henry story etc showed she’s not even the half a woman Bette is. Think at this point they don’t belong together. Tina created whole new life and identity, think it’s B’s time to grow as a person and find herself again. At this point there’s no room for Tina there, nor she deserves it.
+ SPUMONI…..LMAO!!! sooo agree with you;)
That’s right Bette, leave Tina guessing. Wonderful update :)
That’s right Bette, leave Tina guessing. Wonderful update :)
MTS, I can’t thank you enough for your story — it is a great read AND it has inspired spirited and insightful discussions. I gotta start by asking: “WTF, Kit?” That advice was even stupider than raising the price of the pear polenta tart (everyone but you and lobster-lovin’ Benjamin knows that the pastries are loss leaders because all of the profit is from the huge markup on the beverages). And Bette. Sigh. You need to have YOUR car nearby if you want to make a quick exit. I am at a loss about Tina. Her cluelessness must be willful. I can’t see any other explanation. Tina is the Mr. Magoo of relationships –completely oblivious to the suffering she causes as she dances through life. Henry spells it all out for her and she barely pauses a second for self-reflection. Tina to Henry: “You were hurt? Really? My bad.” Tina strategizing about Bette: “OK, Bette’s pissed right now. OK. OK. I can accept that. I admit that I treated her like crap for a year and a half, and it’s true that her father had just died and she had had her first failure and in a very public way, and she may still be a little ticked off that it didn’t bother me that my girlfriend was destroying her life, and it may have been in poor taste to fuck someone in our bed while she was away at a silent retreat, and I knew she was being an asshole with the social worker and I didn’t knock sense into her but that wasn’t my job, and I did move back and led her to think that we were on the road back to each other. All of that. But you know she did cheat. If she hadn’t cheated, none of this would have happened. She broke anything that meant anything to me. She knows that. So, a movie today. Dinner in a few days. We’ll take Angie to Disneyworld next weekend. Overnight. I’ll get a suite. Two bedrooms. No pressure. I’ll pack my new lilac negligee. Henry certainly liked it. I can give Bette time. A little bit. I’m just glad that I’m starting this early coz once we are back together we’ll still have at least a week to work on our Halloween couple costume.” Bitch is pleased with how she handled Henry. I love how you have Bette filter everything Tina says about Henry through her own experiences with the blonde. Bette should grab Angelica (again) and run back to the monastery. Wait! That strategy didn’t work out too well last time. Damn.Hmmm. Hey, Bette, at least get some popcorn of your own on your way back from the bathroom. This way, Tina won’t get the “accidental” touches she expects to get. Even better, I’m gonna head to that theater right now. I’ll sit between ti and bette. It’ll be tispubette from now until Bette comes to her sense or Tina gets a clue. With those two bozos, tispubette may be around for a while.