With each woman’s issues tucked safely away in their own personal enevlopes the lunch went well. They discussed everything from Tina’s nasty co-worker to Bette’s
amazing job as curator for a respected art museum/gallery. Sipping the last grainy remnants of her coffee Bette looked down at the table, at the woody knots and thought about
what had just transpired between her and this woman. It was amazing how far the lengths people go into avoiding certain things. Bette and tina’s entire forty minute discussion
was just that, an avoidance. Finally Tina couldn’t handle it anymore…Bette could tell by the way she fidgeted. ” Bette…let’s, let’s agree to something” Bette put down her coffee cup,
intrigued. “Let’s agree to not…to not bullshit each other…EVER…to NEVER EVER bullshit each other” Bette just looked at her, she was quiet..Tina continued on…”i know
we hardly know each other and we’re both trying to avoid the fact that yesterday you freaked out and im sorry and…..aren’t you tired of bullshit Bette? Every body all the time just
bullshits and if we’re going to have a friendship….let’s not bullshit each other” Bette felt her heart beat so incredibly fast, never had anyone been so honest with her. Tina had just
said what Bette had been thinking in her entire life.

 So they agreed never to bullshit each other. And Bette left the coffee shop feeling like…something. Feeling relief that there was finally someone in her life who would not
lie to make her feel better, who would say what should be said and who would hold Bette’s thoughts and respond, without telling the world. And who would do the same. Bette even
forgot her hesitation, who gave a ***** that this person was someone whom she met only a few days before? Bette recognized that this was unique, one had to hold on to something
as rare as this.

 That night Paxton and Bette spent the night in each arms, not making love. Just talking. Or at least Bette was talking. She wanted to re-connect with her husband. She knew
that Paxton felt connected to her, felt so in love, enamored, scared sometimes, unsure sometimes, angry sometimes…but always believing that the years would settle and their
marriage would survive hurricanes even. Bette felt otherwise. No…not otherwise, just that….she felt unconnected with Paxton. She loved him certainly. But with the passing of years
and days and minutes and seconds…she looked at him and felt farther and farther away. It was like at work or in her social life…distancing. She was distancing herself. And in
the distancing she saw his flaws more clearly. Lying down there in that bed beside him Bette wrapped her arm around his smooth chest, feeling and hearing his heart beat slower and
slower until she knew he was sleeping. They had been talking about stuff that needed to be done, bills to be paid, that dialogue was needed more between them. Bette had
looked at him and said that she wanted to close the chasm between them. Paxton looked at her incredously…”what chasm?” Bette smiled and kissed his cheek…”Nothing honey…i tihnk
i’ve just felt really stressed for the past week”.

TBC