"I can’t imagine what goes through your head," Bette mumbled sadly, looking down to her plate of food. All of it was exotic and intriguing, but she found herself with no appetite. She only sighed as she slowly brought her eyes up to Helena, sitting across the table from her. "I mean really. You’ve teased me about students before, but this? … I’m … I’m just lost." Bette had tried hard to work at their marriage – almost as hard as Helena had worked after her affair – but the last year was all downhill.

"You know how angry I get when students flaunt themselves at you, and parade through your office in lingerie."

Bette let out a moment of laughter. "Lingerie?! Hel – where are you getting this stuff? No student has ever tried undressing in front of me."

"Kelsey, Sarah, Nadia-"

"They did not undress!" Bette interrupted, only to see that Helena continued, despite her efforts.

"Isa, Lauren, PAUL."

"Can we not talk about Paul?" Bette smiled, trying instinctively to lighten the mood.

"Yeah – let’s not talk about any of them! Sure. Why don’t we just do whatever YOU want to do, darling."

"I’d hardly say we do whatever I want to do, Helena."

Dropping her utensils by her plate, Helena looked angrily at Bette. "You have no idea what this does to me! All of these … sluts! And they’re all over you! Don’t you ever just stop and think? Have you no shame?!"

Bette focused very carefully on Helena, completely calm as she put down her fork. "What’s … going on?"

"What? … Why are you looking at me like that?"

Just by her wife’s reaction, Bette was aghast. "Helena – you didn’t."

"What?"

It was hard to breathe she was so terrified. "Not only one time, but two! I had better be wrong about this."

Helena stood to defend herself. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"The last time you cheated on me, you started terrible arguments between us – overly dramatic – because of your guilt. And now this … I don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about, but you’re mad at me, and you’re making me angry. These fights … it’s happening again." She tried hard to even her tone, not to become overly emotional. Helena would never cheat on her again. Not after the first time.