Bette:

Finally, the party was over, I thought walking Alice to the door, reassuring her that I didn’t need help cleaning up:

” The gallery won’t open tomorrow, A cleaning lady from that agency you recommended will be here in…” I looked at my watch, “Geeeezzz, It’s 3 allready! Well, in about 4 hours then… James will be here then so you really can go home… I’ll collect a few things and I’ll be heading home myself” Suddenly feeling the tiredness wash over me, I held tight to the doorknob, waving Alice goodbye (who luckily seemed to be forgotten all about my behaviour to her in the kitchen.) Making my way back to my desk to put the requests in order (for buying an artpiece of my gallery) My mind started drifting of to Tina again… Concern washed over me and I was already picking up the phone to make a call to ask how she was doing when it hit me:

*Hellowwww Porter!!! STRAIGHT, TAKEN and… eh probably asleep right now since it’s 3 O’clock!!!*

Tina:

“We shouldn’t have left like that… I mean… She… It was important to… you” I felt my cheeks redden with blush and was glad it was dark in the room so I wouldn’t have to explain to Eric why I was blushing… I didn’t want to explain simply because I didn’t have an explanation… I only knew for sure I had to see that woman again… Bette… That probably was also the reason why she put that earring on the ground when Eric wasn’t looking… She still couldn’t believe she did that! It must have been the fever… She had never felt anything like that before… So determined and yet in a blurr she had put that earring there for Bette to find… At home she had fallen in a dreamless sleep the minute her head touched the pillow. Only to wake up in the middle of the night (well… about 3 actually) immediatly thinking of Bette. Eric was watching me and with concern in his voice he asked me how I felt…. That’s where I responded: “We shouldn’t have left like that… I mean… She… It was important to… you”

Eric put a wet towel on my forehead, and tried to reassure me with a soft tone of voice, saying: “Nothing is more important to me than you honeybuns… you know that don’t you?”

Why did I feel guilty all of a sudden? “I’s so sorry sweetbuns… For dragging you along their.. You said you weren’t feeling well…. I should have listened…. So how are you feeling now?” He softly kissed me on the cheek “A lot better” I heard myself say in hoarse voice. This made Eric sigh with relieve, and he softly kissed me on the lips… My first impulse was to push him away

*My fever must still be controlling me….*

when Eric deepened his kiss I couldn’t stand it any longer and turned away my face… “Sorry babe, I’m a bit sick…” I heard myself declare… Not totally a lie but not totally truth either… *What the F*ck is wrong with me* A bit dissapointed but reassured Eric put his arms around me and spooned me, falling asleep in an instant… leaving me with my thoughts… 

Bette:

Opening the door to my appartment I felt the silence ad emptiness of the place wash over me…

*This isn’t home, it’s a house… merely a place to stay…*

Now…. where did that thought come from… I thought, tired and annoyed.

Undressing on the way to the bathroom I left my clothes around the house, too tired to pick them up…  Taking a quick shower my mind again drifted to T (as I started to call Tina in my head) And I guess it wasn’t the water that suddenly made me feel alive again… So I spoke harsh to myself:

*STRAIGHT, TAKEN….*

It started to sound like a mantra, so many times I had to repeat those words in my head…

After showering my limbs felt so heavy (as did my mind…) that I just fel onto the bed, not bothering to wipe the wetness, dampness of the shower of…

Not being able to sleep, feeling lonely and a little sorry for myself I started to lett my hands drift over my body…

TBC??? (just teasing….)