Tina ran to the door as soon as the buzzer went off. Before turning the knob she took a deep breath. At this point Tina wasn’t even sure why she had called Daphne. What was she hoping to gain? No going back now. Tina opened the door to find Daphne standing in front of her. Tina wasn’t used to seeing Daphne so dressed down. Here she was in sweat pants and a zip up hooded sweater, looking more beautiful then ever. Her face shone brighter then usual. Without thinking Tina fell into Daphne’s arms.

Daphne: Oh Tina. It’s ok.

Tina: I just feel like the world is crumbling under my feet.

Daphne: I know that feeling all to well. Come on, let’s go inside.

Tina kept her hand firmly placed in Daphne’s, it was safer there. She let the woman with the wild curls take her into the living room and sit her down.

Daphne: So tell me exactly what happened?

Tina: I don’t even know. Bette picked a huge fight with Ashley and I took her side.

Daphne: Whose side?

Tina: Ashley.

Without Tina noticing Daphne rolled her eyes. Ashley was the cause of this and Daphne had a feeling she was capable of much worse.

Daphne: And then what?

Tina: Bette left. She just up and left. Now it’s 12:30 in the morning and I have no clue where she is.

Daphne: I’m sure she’s fine.

Tina: I would feel more confident about that if she would answer her goddamn phone!

Tina hadn’t meant to yell but the words rose up to her lips just as quickly as the anger boiled inside of her.

Tina: She knows how much is weighing on me right now! She knows what I am going through! How could she?

Daphne bowed her head.

Daphne: I don’t know Tina. I would nev…

Daphne stopped herself. She didn’t want to share that much. Clearing her throat she tried again.

Daphne: I just don’t know.

Tina slowly lifted her eyes to meet Daphne’s. They were so trusting. She knew how much compassion lay behind them. Uncomfortable with the silence Daphne cleared her throat again. This time Tina realized that was a nervous habit.

Tina: That’s adorable.

Tina let a small smile spread across her lips.

Daphne: What is?

Without realizing it, Daphne did it again.

Tina: That. That’s adorable.

Daphne blushed.

Tina couldn’t believe she was sitting with a woman she barely knew and airing all of her dirty laundry. If that wasn’t bad enough this woman was listening. No, Tina realized. She wasn’t listening. She was actually hearing what she was saying. It had been so long since Bette had actually done that. Feeling her body begin to betray her Tina stood quickly taking Daphne by surprise.

Daphne: Where are you going?

Tina: Umm, wine. I could use a drink. You want one?

Daphne: Ok, sure.

Tina hurried to the kitchen and found two glasses. On the counter, placed in a wine rack was the bottle of Merlot she had been craving. After filling the wine goblets, Tina made her way back to the living room couch.

Tina: Here you go.

Daphne accepted, happy for the distraction. Tina watched in awe as the woman pressed the cold glass to her lips. She followed the red liquid up the cup and down into Daphne’s mouth. How she wished she could be that wine, running across Daphne’s lips and slowly trickling into her body.

Tina: Will you excuse me for a minute?

Daphne nodded.

Tina picked herself up and made her way into the bathroom. Once the door was closed and locked she slunk to the floor. Tina was a mess of emotion. She loved Bette. More then anything she knew that. But the Bette she had fallen in love with was missing. And not just tonight. The Bette Porter that Tina knew had left her weeks ago. Even when they touched it felt different. Distant and a little cold. Why? Tina had no idea. With everything going on in her life she needed a rock. She needed Bette to be the one she could lean on. The one she could break down to, and yet Bette was nowhere to be found. Daphne, however was sitting right on the couch waiting happily to be that shoulder. Pulling herself up, Tina came face to face with reality in the bathroom mirror.

Tina: I can’t go on this way.

Drawing a deep breath, Tina opened the bathroom door and made her way back to the living room.

Tina: Sorry about that.

Daphne smiled politely.

Daphne: No problem. Are you ok?

Tina: Yeah, I think so.

Tina sat back down, a little closer to Daphne. She reached her hand to Daphne’s face and traced the outline with her fingertips.

Daphne: What are you doing?

Tina: What feels right.

Daphne tried as best she could to control her breathing. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Tina: You’re really beautiful.

Daphne remembered back a month or so ago when everyone had drawn comparisons between her and Bette. The realization hit like a ton of bricks. She was the poor mans Bette Porter. Lost in thought, it wasn’t until she felt Tina’s soft lips on hers that Daphne sprung back to reality.

Daphne: Tina…

Tina: Let me. Please.

Daphne didn’t want to argue. After all this is what she had wanted all along. She gave in and let the next kiss linger. It felt good. Better then she even imagined. Leaning in, Daphne took the next kiss right from Tina’s lips. She stole it and it would be hers forever.

Tina: Do you want to go upstairs?

Daphne thought for a moment. Upstairs was Tina’s bedroom. No, it was Bette and Tina’s bedroom. This wasn’t right. She wanted Tina but not like this. Daphne hoped what she was about to do wouldn’t hurt too badly.

Daphne: Tina, I want you. I have wanted you since the moment we met.

Tina smiled.

Daphne: But you are with Bette. I can’t do this to her or you. I think right now you’re confused. You don’t know what to think or feel and because of that confusion you are thinking and feeling everything. I want you to WANT to be with me. I can’t be your stand in. I can’t literally be Bette Porter’s understudy. I’m sorry.

Tina jumped to her feet, hurt.

Tina: That was not my intention!

Daphne stood to meet her gaze.

Tina: You just feel so good.

Daphne hadn’t noticed that Tina was inching closer until they were nose to nose. She felt Tina wrapping her arms around her waist and Daphne prayed to God she would have the strength to walk away.

Tina: I just need one more…

Tina leaned in and once again placed her lips on Daphne’s. This time she parted Daphne’s mouth with her own tongue. Slowly, she licked the corners of Daphne’s lips before letting her tongue escape into the sweet cave of her mouth. This was exactly what Tina had wanted, just like the wine, she felt herself melt into Daphne.

Bette: This is adorable.

The two jumped apart in shock. The sound of Bette’s voice ripped through them like lightening.

Bette’s face was pale and taught.

Tina: Shit.

Daphne tried to cover the blush in her own cheeks.

Daphne: This isn’t what you think?

Bette: No?

Bette’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

Bette: Just a little late night rehearsal?

Tina: No Bette, please.

Bette: Please what Tina?

Daphne wanted so badly to spare Tina from the angry words she knew Bette was ready to throw.

Daphne: Bette, it’s my fault.

Tina winced as she heard the lie escape Daphne’s mouth. The sweet mouth her lips had just been pressed to.

Daphne: I kissed her.

Bette: Really? Because from this angle it looked like Tina’s arms were holding onto you, not the other way around.

Daphne had no response.

Bette: Care to say anything Tina?

Tina’s face twisted in a mix of anger and confusion.

Tina: Where the fuck have you been?

The words didn’t come out exactly how Tina intended them.

Bette: Where have I been? You are going to stand there and change the subject Tina?

Tina was silent.

Bette: I have been out trying to find a way to show you how much I love you. To prove to you that I am doing the very best I can. I can tell you what I wasn’t doing Tina! I wasn’t out kissing some other woman! That’s what I wasn’t doing!

Tina: You didn’t answer your phone.

Bette: Ok. So because I didn’t answer my phone that gave you reason to fuck someone else?

Tina: I didn’t fuck her!

Daphne: I think I ought to go.

Bette sneered at her body double.

Bette: No, don’t. Stay. I’ll go. You two can finish what you’ve started!

Tina: Bette, wait!

Tina reached for Bette’s arm but she was shoved away.

Bette: Don’t touch me!

Bette stormed off to the foyer with Tina and Daphne right behind.

Tina: Please Bette!

Bette stopped just shy of the front door. Turning to Tina Bette shook her head, betrayal written plain across her face.

Bette: Why did you do it?

Tina opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The truth was she, herself, didn’t even know why. The one thing Tina knew for sure, the thing that came as a total shock, she didn’t regret it.

Bette: At least now you have a continuation for your play.

Tina: What?

Bette: A part 2. And oddly enough, this one ends just as cruelly as the first.

Tina’s mind raced with the memory of Bette’s face the day she told her she couldn’t go with her. When Bette had traveled all the way to Arizona to say she needed her and Tina had once again let her down. It seemed like forever ago and yet, it was happening all over again.

Bette bowed her head and opened the front door. With a loud crash she slammed it closed. She would never fall victim to Tina Kennard again.





Bette stood at the foot of her apartment looking up. What had happened? Where had they both gone terribly wrong? Tears stung her cheeks as they mixed with the cold night air. Bette knew that taking the role in the other show was a betrayal of her own, but nothing compared to what Tina had done. Bette laughed at that thought.

Bette: It wasn’t what she had done; it was what she had undone.

Looking around Bette wasn’t sure where to go or who to call. She thought about Avery for a moment. She could call her. Avery would definitely let her stay the night. Shaking the thought out of her head Bette walked to end of the street and hailed a cab.








Alex followed Alice in the front door of her apartment.

Alex: So are we going to tell Tina?

Alice: We can’t. It’s up to Bette to do that.

Alex: So what do we do?

Alice threw her purse onto the couch as she walked toward the kitchen.

Alice: Wait. We wait.

Alex: This is going to blow up in both of their faces.

Alice: I know. And when it does we will just have to be there to break their fall.

When Alice returned she was holding a glass filled with brown liquid. She handed it to Alex.

Alex: What is that?

He sniffed the drink and almost fell back in his chair.

Alice: Sure proof method of avoiding a hangover.

Alex: So I won’t be hung over, but I’ll puke?

Alice: You big baby. You won’t throw up. Just drink it.

Alex plugged his nose and pressed the glass to his mouth. Quickly he dropped it back down onto the table.

Alex: I can’t!

Alice: Come on! Just drink the damn thing!

Alex: No, it smells bad.

Alice was losing her patience.

Alice: Yeah and it tastes worse, but it’s worth it.

Alex: Can’t I just take some Tylenol?

Alice: You are the biggest baby I have ever met. Ever!

Stubbornly Alice marched back to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of aspirin. She tossed it to Alex who let it drop in front of him.

Alex: Alice! You know I don’t play sports. I’m too pretty and delicate!

Alice rolled her eyes.

Alice: I wasn’t asking you to run a touchdown. I threw you a bottle of Tylenol!

Alex didn’t respond. He starred blindly into space.

Alice waved her hand in front of his face!

Alice: Hello? Earth to Alex, we miss you come home!

Alex shook his head.

Alex: Sorry. You said touchdown, which made me think of football, which made me think of tight ends, and then the uniform and then this guy from high school who played on our school team. He could fill out a pair of those pants like it was no one’s business. He gave the most amazing…

Alice put her hand over her friend’s mouth.

Alice: I get it. Thanks.

Alex reached down and grabbed the bottle from the floor. Carefully he opened it poured out two pills.

Alex: I need something to take them with.

Alice’s face was blank.

Alex: Like water or something.

Alice smirked and turned her gaze to the glass in front of Alex.

Alex: Oh you have to be kidding me! I’m not swallowing these pills with that brown stuff!

Alice: Then swallow them dry.

Alex: You are not a nice person Alice!! Not nice at all!

Alice picked up the glass and placed it in her friend’s hand.

Alice: Drink!

Alex closed his eyes tight and took a swig. His face turned a bright shade of green as he swallowed the noxious liquid.

Alice: Good boy!

Alice patted him on the back!

Alex: See and you didn’t even throw up.

Alex beamed, proud of himself and his lack of a gag reflex.

Alex: I don’t feel nauseous at all.

The knock on the door startled the pair.

Alice gave Alex a confused look and walked to the other end of the room. She reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it. Shock spread across Alice’s face at the sight in front of her. Bette stood in the doorway, her face drained of any and all emotion. The stains on her cheeks were a sign of how hard she had been crying a few minutes earlier.

Alice: Bette! Come in!

Bette bowed her head and entered the apartment.

Alex stood and offered Bette his seat.

Alex: Are you ok?

Alice: What are you doing here?

Bette took a deep breath not sure she was ready to say the words aloud.

Alice kneeled in front of her.

Alice: Talk to us Bette.

Bette stuttered over her own words.

Bette: Tina…she…umm…she cheated on me.

Bette’s whole body shook.

Alice and Alex needed no more information.

Alice threw an arm over Bette’s shoulder bringing her into a tight embrace while Alex walked briskly toward the bathroom.

Alex: Now, I’m nauseous.

TBC…