‘She shouldn’t have got Angie to run errands for her.’

Bette might have only had one visible eye, but now it seemed to gleam with anger.

‘Do you even know how much of our future lies in Karolina’s hands?’ 

‘I don’t care.’

‘I don’t think you mean that.’

‘I don’t care about her, okay? I don’t like her.’

‘Well, this is new. You’ve worked in the movie industry for decades with people you dislike and don’t respect, but it’s only here that it’s a problem?’ 

‘That’s not the point. And why are you . . .?’ Tina held her hand out in the direction of the pavilion. ‘Why does she get you on her side?’

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, there are no “sides”! But you know what? If there were, I would take hers sometimes and I would expect you to understand why.’

‘Well, I don’t.’

‘No, apparently you don’t.’ 

‘No, because she’s an employee and I’m your wife.’

‘That’s not . . . That’s not fair.’

Bette’s voice broke. She looked down at the floor. Tina leaned her arm on the edge of a work counter, the impulse to go to her fighting her own anger and frustration.

‘Tina, you cannot possibly think there’s any basis for you to compare my professional interest in Karolina with the way I feel about you.’ 

Bette’s tone was incredulous. And it got through. Tina looked away, at the plants, out the window, anywhere but at Bette.

‘Look, I don’t like her, either,’ Bette went on. ‘And I don’t particularly like myself when I’m around her. I . . . perform, is what I do. I have to. I actually think we all have to, sometimes. It’s  part of being an adult, you can’t just go round giving voice and action to all your annoyances and, with this, Tina . . . I would rather you just told me what you’re mad about and stop fucking around the one person who can sink this whole thing.’

She massaged her forehead. Tina felt the mood shift, circling the heart of the matter.

‘You don’t have to perform for me, Bette.’ 

Bette let out a small sigh, relieved and slightly desperate. 

‘I just want a little bit more of you,’ Tina went on. ‘Sex is nice, but time is everything. Spending time together, when you’re not exhausted, when we don’t talk about work . . . If we can make that happen, I think we’d find our groove again?’

The way Tina tilted her head when she said that last part was one of her moves, and she knew it, and she knew Bette knew it, and slowly, slowly, they started to smile. Tina walked nearer, a tiny sway in her hips. Bette let her come right up to her. They stared at each other for a long moment. 

‘Our calendar’s gonna go nuts after tonight,’ she said, their mouths almost close enough to kiss. 

‘I know.’

‘I got a tip on a great sous chef. If they came here, Karolina could use them for development instead of me.’

‘Sounds good.’

Tina’s eyes were locked on her wife. Bette studied her for a moment, then took the eyepatch off.

‘Aw, no more sexy pirate?’ 

‘It’s not as much fun to wear as it is to look at.’

‘Can I have a go?’

Tina raised a suggestive eyebrow. Bette laughed. 

‘Yeah, okay. But right now, I just want to see you properly.’ 

And she did, looking long and lovingly.

‘I’m so proud of you,’ said Tina.

A beaming smile took over Bette’s face. Tina laughed. Bette held her palm tenderly against Tina’s cheek. 

‘We did it,’ she said.

‘We did.’