“Oh, and Cassie and Georgia.”  Tina couldn’t see Bette’s face but she knew that it now featured a scowl.  Tina stopped her double-check of her carry-on’s contents.  “Bette,” Tina admonished, “you agreed that…”

“I know I agreed but…”

“And you knew that I travel sometimes.”

“Yes, but I didn’t know that they would be so….”

“James’ research was faulty?” Tina asked, surprised that the devoted assistant had failed.

“James didn’t do any research.”

Feeling the time pressure from the waiting Town Car, Tina had turned her attention back to her luggage.  She stopped again at Bette’s revelation.  “You didn’t ask him to do research?”

Bette’s expression was sheepish.  “I asked him, but he was trekking the Himalayan foothills and didn’t have a computer handy.”

Tina shook her head, her thoughts full of sympathy for the poor man for whom even the Himalayas weren’t sufficient protection from Bette’s demands.  “Bette, you didn’t know that he was in the Himalayas?”

“I did, but his lodge could havc had internet access.”

Tina looked at Bette with a raised eyebrow.

“I went too far.  I know.  But you know how I feel about….Look, I panicked.  I just panicked.”

“Has James forgiven you?”

“Of course.”

“As he always does.  I still have no idea why he puts up with it.  He must have some strange ‘issues.’”

“T, I don’t want to even think about that.”

“You’d just better hope he never goes to therapy.”

“I pray to the goddess every day.”

That answer was unsettling and Tina asked, “You don’t, do you?”

“Tina.”

The blonde didn’t relent and stared at Bette, waiting for an answer.

“No, Tina.  I want James to be happy and if he has unresolved ‘issues,’ I want him to work them through.”

“That’s better.”

“Someday.”

“Bette!”  Tina exclaimed to the brunette’s retreating back.

Bette stood in their bathroom surveying the shelves.  She always did this when Tina was leaving for a trip since the blonde almost always forgot to pack at least one item of toiletry.  It drove Bette crazy that Tina wouldn’t keep a packed plastic baggy with all of her items in her luggage at all times.  As she expected, she spotted something that should not have still been on the shelves.