The two women were standing in the back of the gallery at this point and Ansley decided that it was now or never.

“Bette”, she said.

“Yes?” Bette responded.

“I was wondering if there was any chance that you would like to have dinner.  I mean, there is nothing attached, but I just thought that you spend entirely too much time in this gallery and don’t know that you have even been out to dinner once.  And this is New York after all!”

She realized that she was rambling and so just stopped talking and looked up to Bette.

“Look” Bette began.  “Ansley, it is very sweet of you to ask-”

“But?” Ansley interjected.

“But, I am really not in a position at this time in my life to be having dinner with a beautiful woman”.

“Wow, that is one of the best rejections that I have ever gotten” she smiled.

“I am sorry, please try to understand.  It truly is not you, I just can’t”.

Ansley looked at Bette and then realized what she had been seeing all along, seeing but just not recognizing exactly what it was, never able to put her finger on it until now.  This woman had been hurt, and if she were to guess, hurt badly.  That is why the lack of glimmer resides in her eyes, why the sadness for no reason occasionally settles on her face.  Now it was making sense and Ansley felt like a heel for not having figured it out and then putting them in this position.

“No Bette.  I am the one that is sorry.  I should not have crossed that line.  I figured that there must have been something that was going on in your life, but didn’t let that slow me down.”

“Please” Bette quickly said, “It is fine.  How could you have known?”

“I’ll tell you something Bette Porter, I am a pretty good friend and listener also and would love the opportunity to show that to you.  If you are willing that is”.

“Of course I am willing and I thank you for the offer”.

Just at that time, they both heard James calling for Bette, telling her that she had a call.

“He saves her again” Ansly wryly thought to herself.

“Well, I am going to head on” Ansley told Bette.

“OK and thanks for coming by.  Please don’t be a stranger”.

“That is one thing that you will not have to worry about, Bette”

Just as she got to the door, she turned around and said “Hey Bette”

Bette pulled the phone down from her ear and turned to her.

“Don’t be so quick to sell yourself short, that was at least a dime tour”. 

Ansley smiled one more time and left.  Bette just shook her head and resumed her conversation as a small smile played against her lips.