“Look Bette when we started this thing between us 14 months ago I had the reputation as an ego-maniacal self-absorbed woman. I didn’t believe in monogamy and didn’t like children. That hasn’t changed. I don’t have time for all that sentimental bullshit. I am who I am and no matter how hard you try to change that or to control me it’s not going to happen. I thought you would have gotten the message by now.”

“Jodi I am not trying to control you. We’re not having that argument again. I honestly thought that you ran away from me because I had broken your heart. Everybody told me how great we were together. ‘Go after her’ they said. ‘Make a grand gesture to get her back.’ ‘Flowers are too generic’. I practically steal this sign and put my friends in danger of getting eaten by attack dogs. I come all this way to beg your forgiveness only to hear you tell me that I barely put a dent in your heart much less broke it. You think all this is because I want to control you?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. I do care about you. Hell if I didn’t would I have spent 14 months being monogamous? Do you know how hard that was for me? And I didn’t spend that much time with your kid but I tolerated her the few times she was around me. You have to give me credit for that.”

If Jodi stood another chance she just lost it by making that remark about Angelica but Bette let her go on. It was one thing she’d learned about communicating better; allow the other person to have their say.

“I just can’t be what you want me to be. I’m not wife material Bette.”

There’s an understatement. Marriage hadn’t even entered Bette’s mind when she thought of Jodi.

“I’m not the warm and fuzzy type. I have one interest and that’s my work. I like my freedom. I don’t want to be tied down. We had a few good laughs. I even think we were good for each other for the time it lasted but let’s not kid ourselves here Bette. The attraction was mostly physical. We didn’t have anything lasting.”