Outside the Planet.

Bette leaned over and kissed Tina and took Rosie from her arms. You and Alice have a good lunch OK? Rosie and Ill be fine.

Bette leaned into the backseat of her car and placed Rosie in the infant car seat.

***** Porter said Alice It must be love..youve had your car modified for the car seat

Bette ignored Alice and rolled her eyes in a gesture of long suffering.

Tina laughed. It had been love but it had also been prompted by anger..Bette had held out until their fight over Candace when her impulsive rush to the CAC had been delayed when shed remembered the only way they could all go was if she drove Tinas car.

Bette drove to the CAC and parked in her usual spot then strolled up to the gallery. Now Rosie she started a long monologue this is where your Mommy works. Im going to teach you all about art but I think youre a little young for some of the exhibits so well just bypass these ones and move over here.. now this one here is a Catherine Opie..you should remember that name..

Bette wandered around the gallery chatting to Rosie until Rosie drifted off to sleep. She then made her way into her office, put Rosies infant seat in a safe place close to her desk and picked up the latest financial statements for the museum.

She frowned and had just picked up a red pen to make some alterations when there was a knock at the door. She looked up at the person whod pushed back her door; it was too early for Tina to have finished her lunch with Alice.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alice and Tina walked up the pathway towards the Planet.

Al said Tina Its my treat today..I never really thanked you for letting me stay with you when..uh..Bette and I werent uh..together..so..thanks ok?

Alice laughed and made a joke of it, she felt uncomfortable when people made a fuss of her, Yeah,..well who else was going to put up with all that crying huh? There was talk of building an ark you know..

Alice continued..Just dont make a habit out of it OK? Otherwise Im going to have to buy a bigger place…

–(It was funny thought Alice, shed never really thought her and Tina would be friends.

She remembered when shed first seen her at the Bette Port Gallery. Tina had come in on the arm of that hot lawyer Eric. Shed kind of noticed Tina but it was Eric that had really caught her attention and when hed come over shed flirted with him shamelessly knowing it was just a little fun.

Out of the corner of her eye though shed seen Tina checking Bette out and shed seen Bettes body language change and thought Oh..oh watch out .Bettes on the prowl.

Even so she hadnt really expected there was a chance of it succeeding. It was pretty clear that Tina was straight and Eric was certainly hot property. Lucky she hadnt taken that bet!)”

Are you and Bette still you know.. Alice said and dug her elbow into Tinas ribs and raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Al, not that its any of your business but.. yes. Tina smirked.

–(It was certainly an amazing love story, thought Alice, eyes meet across a crowded room type stuff..made even more incredible by the fact that Tina was straight until she met Bette.

..umm thought Alice, is that possible? Bettes amazing but amazing enough to turn someone into a *****? Wouldnt Tina have had some feelings for women before? Shane thought people were straight until they werent anymore ..but surely it didnt work that way did it? Maybe shed ask Tina about it one day.) –

They wandered over to their usual table.

Umm Al said as she perused the specials for the day if youre paying I might have the full lunch thing..

Tina laughed.. Go for it Al.

–( Alice thought about that first time Bette had brought Tina into the Planet.. well..to be honest she couldnt really see what Bette saw in TinaTinad just sat there hardly saying a word staring at Bette as if she was in the middle of some huge dream …

And even though her and Tina were about the same age Tinad just seemed so.. immature in comparison ..not sophisticated enough for Betteso overawed

Shed not wanted to hurt Bettes feelingsso shed just tried to be nice to Tina at first figuring Bette would soon tire of her..in the back of her mind though shed known there must be more to Tina..it wasnt Bettes style to just play around with someone for a while just to amuse herself..

And it hadnt worked out that way had it? Bette had grown more infatuated and when Tina had finally gotten over that first awestruck stage shed turned out to be much more interestingshe was quite accomplished in her own right and her and Bette had certainly made a power couple ..knew all the right people in LA) –

Hows the writing going? Alice asked as she sipped coffee.

GreatI love it and theyre really great about me working around Rosies schedule….

–( ***** thought Alice Im so glad she got over that helpless act she put on when she resigned from her job..that had really worn thin over time..true when you left a job you could lose a big bit of yourself but ..anway it was good to see her confident again..juggling work and Rosie) –

So..I heard Candace is back..you OK with it.? said Alice hesitantly.

Uh..I think we will be Tina smiled at her.

–( Alice knew how hard it had been for Tina to forgive Bette she knew that things like that had a habit of resurfacing ..but they seemed to talk more..although it still pissed her off sometimes when Tina pouted rather than just talking to Bette..mind you Bette wasnt always the most open minded when she was angry with you..

Anyway who was she to talk ..her and Bette had lasted less than a year..Tinad managed to put up with Bette.. faults and all ..for over 8 years ..and she knew how hard Bette was to live with..much harder than it would be with the easy going Tina..

Sometimes they just needed a little nudge thoughsomeone to stick their nose in when things werent going right..she liked seeing them together liked seeing Bette happy and Tina happybut REALLY liked seeing Bette and Tina together and happy..it gave everyone else hope).

So hows Dana copying with this Tonya thing? Do we still have a plan? Tina said.

Yeah.. I think so..shes gonna talk to her lawyer …do you wanna come along to a little strategy session?

–( Alice thought it interesting how somewhere along the line Tinad changed from Bettes friend to her friend and she had a suspicion that it may be Tina that provided the glue that kept them all together..she wasnt sure why but she just had this feeling that if Tina had disappeared theyd all have moved on..going their separate ways..) –

TBC