New York Minute
Chapter 5
　 Bette was just pouring a glass of coke from the bottle she had ordered when Tina and Angie came through to the living room. The young girl was wearing pyjamas and had been showered and her long hair was tied back in a pony tail. She looked utterly sweet and very tired
“For you – I got pizza and garlic bread because it’s my favorite”
“Have you got some plates Bette – I don’t want us to make a mess “
“No problem – I’ll go and get them “
“Don’t make a mess “ Tina said to Angie as she followed Bette into the kitchen.
“Its okay “ Bette smiled. Angie opened the pizza box and looked hungrily at the food in front of her.
In the kitchen Bette opened a cupboard and handed three plates to Tina.
“Thanks Bette “
“No problem – you are going to have to tell me what she likes and I’ll go shopping”
“Bette – don’t go to any trouble “
Bette shook her head “ You don’t get it do you ? I want to make a fuss of both of you “
“We can amuse ourselves while you are at work “
“Are you not listening to me on purpose ? “ Bette asked “I rarely have any time off – its my own business – I have a great assistant in James “
“James – James is your assistant ?”
“I poached him after about six months of setting up my gallery – he obviously doesn’t regard me as a monster because he leapt at the chance. He’s got a girlfriend and a baby “

“Really – wow -I am looking forward to seeing him again – especially as we were always trying to fix him up “
“I know – I keep reminding him of that – James is a good man and he’s excellent at his job. I guess in the last few years he’s been the one constant “
“ lets go and see what Angie if Angie has left us anything “
“How did she take you suddenly deciding to come to New York ?”
Tina smiled “ She surprises me so often – I forget that she spends so much time with Alice and Shane and Kit – she picks a lot up and she’s very sharp in her own way -she is perceptive. I only made my mind up when I got off the phone to you at half one this morning. I rang the airline and they said we have two seats leaving at 3pm so I took them. When Angie got up this morning I asked her if she wanted to spend some time in New York with you and she just loved the idea. She knows that we talk all the time and she knows that we are close. She is very excited about seeing the sights “
Bette smiled “Its going to be fun showing her them. I have done all the tourist things a few times – seeing things from a new perspective will be interesting. Hey – does that mean we are all going to see the Halloween parade ?”
Tina nodded “ And she’s heard that the Thanksgiving parade is good “
“It is – and I might get a team cheering me on for the marathon ?”
“You will – you never wanted to do a full marathon “
“Lets go and sit down “ Bette suggested “I did a half marathon with no training and I finished in the top 100 about four years ago. I needed a bigger challenge – I toyed with doing a triathlon and that’s still an ambition but until I start putting in the time on the bike I decided to run more seriously “
“Well you look fantastic on it “ Tina said – Bette was every bit as gorgeous as she always had been. In comparison Tina felt bad for the fact that she had totally stopped going to the gym and running which was something they used to do together.
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