“Don’t worry, I have other weapons at my disposal that should worry you more.” Bette replied looking smug.

“Like your nice personality and charming people skills?” Tina teased sarcastically.

“Wow, you DO have a sense of humor.” Bette side-stepped, teasing back.

“How is Alice?” Tina said, ignoring Bette’s jab.

“Erm…fine. Lost in her Diva world.” Bette was certainly not prepared to answer questions about Alice. Should I ask her about Eric? I really do not care how he is, she mused.

“Well, she has a demanding career so it is natural that she would be busy and even stressed. And having you around probably does not make it easy for her.” Tina said, meaning to tease Bette.

“What are you trying to say?” Bette snapped. The last thing she needed right now was a reminder of everything that was wrong in her relationship with Alice.

“Nothing…I am sorry.” Tina looked down thinking uh-oh I hit a sore spot.

Bette decided to fill the awkward lull in conversation. “I just finished filing grades in college and going to meet Kit downtown for some Christmas shopping.”

“Wait, YOU are a college professor?! And YOU are doing Christmas shopping?! My my, the world has come to an end.” Tina feigned shock.

“Hey, I get to tell everyone how dumb they are and the Christmas shopping is gifts for myself, silly!” Bette said, rolling her eyes and going along with the self-deprecating humor.

“I am meeting Jack downtown for some last-minute Christmas shopping too. I still haven’t gotten anything for Eric. What do you buy someone who has everything?” Tina asked herself.

Bette thought back to the night of the Christmas party. She shivered as she remembered a very drunk Tina holding her, grinded against her on the dance floor, sexily swaying her hips to the music and flirtatiously asked Bette to call her T afterwards. “If you are asking me T (she emphasized)…I would say he would like nothing more than you drunk.”

Oh my God, why do I feel so good when she calls me T? Tina’s stomach did somersaults. She smiled nervously to herself and then frowned. “What do you mean?” She did not recall much about Saturday night.