“Well, actually, Helena, either will do.”  Helena watched as Tina fought back a giggle and putting her feet up, said, “So, your lunch date.  Meeting Bette, are you?”

“No, no, I’m actually meeting my friend Dana.  You remember, the tenn“

Helena:  “The tennis playerright, right, I remember.  So, how is she doing?  Dana, I mean.”

Tina found herself confused.  “How do you mean?” 

Helena threw her hands in the air.  “I’m just asking.  I haven’t seen her around lately.  I usually run into her and herthe chef, oh for the love of god, what’s the chef’s name?”

Tina: “Lara.”

Helena:  “Lara!  Yes, Lara.”

Tina leaned forward and studied Helena‘s expression.  “Look, I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with Alice, and to be honest, I feel very weird about even bringing this up with you, but, how is she?  I mean how does she seem to you?”

Helena: “How does she seem to me?  She seems, well, I don’t know her any other way.  She’s fun”

Becoming frustrated, Tina said, “No, I mean, is she sad, does she seem.I don’t know, sad at all.”

Helena placed her hands on the table.  Checking her manicure for nicks, she said, “Well, what do you expect?  Break ups are sad, are they not?  Especially when the person you’re trying to get to know and love leaves you to go back to their old flame, as it were.  So, I suppose the answer to your question, is yesshe seems sadbut, not always.  I mean my god, she’s not the pathetic noodle I found at the Planet last week, that’s for sure.  Mostly she’s wonderful to have around if you want to know the truth.  I find myself missing her when”

Tina slid her hand across the table and touched Helena‘s finger tips with her own.  “Will you do me a favor?”  Helena quickly pulled her hands onto her lap and said, “What?  What are you doing?”

Tina, rolling her eyes at Helena‘s nervousness, said, “Will you just promise me that you’ll be there for her if anything should ever happen?”

Helena:  “Tina, what are you talking about?  You know, you’re starting to freak me out a bit here”