“Doing anything for Valentine’s Day?” Wilson smiled, sitting down with Bette to eat lunch. “It’s tomorrow, if you didn’t know.”

“Hire a nice lady,” Bette smirked in the way that only she could, before taking a bite.

Wilson chuckled and shook his head, stirring his salad. “A nice blond lady?” The inquiry was cheekier than he usually was, and that caught Bette off guard, but she recovered well.

“I said nice, Wilson. That insinuated it has nothing to do with … blonds.”

Wilson could only laugh. “Okay.”

They ate the rest of their lunch in silence.

In reality, Bette didn’t plan on hiring any nice ladies, although the twisted thought had entered her mind as a sort of ‘screw you, Valentine’s Day,’ but she knew that would only torment her. All she would do was think about Tina and her fiancé, and what they were out doing – or even worse: what they were in doing.

*****

Tina finished work far too late in the evening, but she hurried home for a late dinner at a beautiful restaurant she had been bragging about to all of her friends at work. She had actually arranged to meet him there, as she knew she would be a bit late, and ended up finding him there just fine. She surprised herself with her excellent luck, and her ability to seek him out so easily.

However, when she walked over, she noticed another person at the table.

‘No … it couldn’t be,’ she thought, nearly tripping over her feet as she slowed her walk. But when she had arrived beside her fiancé, she was also at someone else’s side. “House.”

“So, what are your intentions with my boss, huh?” Bette laughed, bringing another glass of beer to her lips as she glanced up at Tina.

He just laughed and shook his head. “Tina, you never told me what a riot she is. All I ever hear is the bad stuff!”

“Hey, I can be fun,” Bette smiled, putting her beer down just in time as Tina pulled up on Bette’s arm.

“I need to talk with you.” She looked down to him and then back to Bette. “Alone.”

“Don’t be too long,” he smiled, looking back to the menu.