The phone rang, waking Bette up. She grabbed it quickly.

“T?”

“No, it’s me”

“Oh, hi Al” Bette sounded dejected.

“Nice to know you’re always glad to hear from me” Alice chuckled.

“No, it’s just…” Bette started.

“I know, I know. Listen, you wanna come out with me tonight?”

“Oh, Al I don’t think…”

“I’m not taking no for an answer. You and me need to catch up. Pick me up at 7.30″ Alice hung up.

Bette rolled her eyes and replaced the phone. So it looked like she was going out that night.

At 7.30 on the dot she pulled up outside Alice’s house, and Alice came running to the car.

“On time, I’m impressed Porter”

Bette just smiled.

“No, really I am”

“So where am I taking you?” Bette asked.

“Radar”

“Oh, Al…”

“Nope, we are going out and you are gonna have a good time”

They drove in silence for a couple of minutes.

“Where’s T tonight?” Bette asked quietly.

“I think she’s doing something with Dana”

“Oh, so I’m a poor substitute”

“Noooo” Alice protested.

Bette laughed and pulled up outside Radar. They got up and strolled in.

“Bette, you know every woman in this place is checking you out?” Alice commented.

“I’m not interested in every woman”

“Right”

Alice proceeded to the bar and ordered them both drinks. They stood just watching the interractions of the women around them. For some reason Bette felt an urge to turn to look at the door. At that moment Tina and Dana walked in. Why the ***** do I always sense her presence? she thought to herself.

“You’re dead Al” she hissed.

“What?” Alice asked innocently.

Over by the door Tina was saying the same to Dana.

“You totally set us up, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t…I mean it wasn’t my…”

“Alice” Tina said angrily.

Dana nodded guiltily.

As they walked to the bar Alice approached them.

“Wow, fancy seeing you guys here!” Alice put her arm round Dana.

“Yeah fancy that” Tina said sarcastically.

“Dana, will you come dance with me?” Alice pulled Dana towards the dance floor.

Dana turned and mouthed “sorry” over her shoulder at Tina. Tina turned to look at Bette.

“I honestly didn’t know” Bette started.

“Yeah I know, but I’m just not ready”

“I know, but as we’re here…”

“No Bette, I can’t do this. I can’t be near you” Tina walked off angrily.

Bette watched her as she walked up to a woman and started flirting with her. What was she doing? Tina would never do that. Bette clenched her fist round her glass as she watched Tina giggling falsely and touching the woman’s arm. The woman took Tina’s hand and led her to the dance floor. Without looking back, Tina followed and began to dance provocatively with the woman.

Am I really doing this? thought Tina. This is so out of character. But I have to do it. This is for me. I’m strong. I can be a single woman. This will show them I’m not just some weak little wife who can’t survive without Bette. I can live without her. She took a deep breath and leant in to kiss the woman in front of her.

*****, thought Bette, I can’t believe she’s doing this. The jealousy raged through her body. But this was what she deserved. She forced herself to stay and watch. As the tears started to trickle down her cheeks she still didn’t move.

Tina pulled away. The kiss just didn’t feel right. The taste was wrong, the pace was wrong, everything about it was wrong. She’d only ever kissed one woman in her life, and this other woman was nothing compared to Bette.

“I’m sorry, I can’t” she said simply and walked back to the bar.

Bette bit her lip as Tina approached.

“You’re still here” Tina seemed surprised.

“So that was for my benefit?”

“Why, did it hurt you? Did it make you feel jealous?”

“You know it did”

“Then maybe you can understand that that’s how I felt, only a million times worse”

“I know, I’m sorry. I don’t know how many times I can say it” Bette pleaded with her.

“Sorry doesn’t change anything”

“I know. I’m gonna go”

“And Alice?” Tina asked.

“I’m sure she can ride home with you and Dana”

“And I’ll be like the spare part. Great”

“What else do you want me to do?”

“You could drive me back to Alice’s” Tina suggested.

“And you’d be okay with that?”

“I think I can handle being with you for ten minutes” Tina said as she walked off to find Alice and Dana to tell them that they were leaving.

But can I handle being with you? Bette thought to herself