“Got any plans for the night?” Bette asked James.

“Nah, not really” he replied.  “There’s a little sports bar around the corner from my apartment and so I will probably stop in there and grab a bite to eat.  And you?”

“Just heading back to the apartment.  I have some artist’s bios that I need to read.  With the gallery hopefully opening in eight weeks, I feel like I need to get this process going”.

They were both standing on the sidewalk in front of the gallery and James said, “Well, I hope that you have a nice evening then.  Try not to get too crazy reading all of those bios!” he smirked.

Bette chuckled back at him and promised to do her best to keep things on the “Down Lo’”, pleased at her attempt to be hip.

She turned to walk up town to her apartment and James watched her for a minute.  Even he knew that she was doing better than she had in the past six months or so, he knew her and also knew that she was not whole.  He felt really bad for both Bette and Tina because he had thought that they had made such a great couple, each very complimentary to the other.  Bette had never discussed with him her breakup with Tina, but he knew that it must not have been a mutual decision.  He was happy to see her here and doing something for herself in New York.  He did wish that she would get out some though.  It saddened him to think of her going home every night, by herself, to an apartment that was not her home.

“Oh well” he thought.  There was nothing that he could do for Bette aside from being there for her.  He hoped that if she ever needed him, that she knew he would be there.  Just like when she had asked him to come to New York, he could have never turned her down.  She had done way too much for him in the past and he knew that as often as possible, he would be there for her.  He viewed her as an older sister, and intended to look after her as much as possible, especially since he did not know that anyone else was.

He turned and started walking in the direction of his apartment.  “Now, what to have for dinner tonight” he thought to himself.