Living In Entropy – L.I.E. – 02.04 – Accept


            The Planet and suddenly Bette felt the rug of life being pulled out from under her feet. She felt like she was being toppled to the ground and Tina was stomping on her heart. 

            Tina was there with another woman and she was kissing her, holding her hand as if they’d been together for ages.  Is this how Tina had felt when she’d seen her with Candace at the CAC?  Lord, no wonder she hated her with all the venom she could muster. 

            Tina hadn’t bothered talking to Bette after she’d left.  She’d avoided her and left her one voice message and had said to leave her alone.  Bette had accommodated her, and Bette hadn’t been able to muster the courage to call or talk to her.  Writing a letter had even been out of the question, Tina would have burned it instantly.  She wouldn’t have returned her calls, and might just bitch slap her if she just showed up unannounced to where ever Tina was laying her head.

            Tina smiled at the woman and she saw Tina looking at her from the corner of her eye.  Bette knew she was making sure that Bette saw every intimate moment, and Bette wasn’t missing a thing.  The strings tugged at her heart, and Bette vowed to let her be happy, that was the best she could do Tina no longer wanted or needed her. 

            Bette’s face dropped as Tina caressed the woman’s arms, and Alice turned around to see Tina with a stunning looking woman, and she muttered something under her breath and Dana said in a soft voice.

            “That’s the Peabody woman?”  Bette blinked seeing Helena kiss Tina rather passionately and going back outside.  That was Peggy’s daughter the one that had pulled the Peabody collection away from the CAC just yesterday. 

            Not only had she taken the collection away, she had set her sites on Tina as well.  Bette felt something dark brewing on the horizon.  She said nothing she couldn’t, and her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth.  Tina went over to the table and looked directly at Bette.  A challenging look and Bette wasn’t up to it, she looked away almost instantly.

            “You’re back.”  Tina said in a voice as cold as an arctic wind, and Bette nodded not saying anything at all.  Tina’s eyes were frigid, her demeanor was as stiff as an oak board, she had another Ace up her sleeve, and Bette was sure of that fact.  This was the cutthroat businesswoman that Bette had met a long time ago she was the one staring her down at the moment.  “Just to let you know, I moved back into the house two days ago.  At the advice of my lawyer.  If you have a problem with that, I suggest you call your lawyer so that we can settle this in a timely manner.  It might be months before we get this settled, and we have to at least be able to speak to each other, but I am living there.  Get use to it, it is my house also.  Dana, Alice.”  Tina said with a nod, turning on her heels and walking away with her head held high.  Bette swallowed her voice had left her, who was that woman that had just walked away, and spoken to her with ice in her voice.

            “That was harsh.”  Dana said and Alice nodded, but Bette she remained silent.  She simply sat in the chair and sipped her coffee, to stun to think or speak.