“At the Bistro, during the weekend, where I caught Eric with some redhead. He slapped me and a brunette came over and told him to get the fuck out of the area.” Tina said, holding her coffee mug. “I was so relieved at having her come over, I accepted when she asked me if I wanted to be her housemate. It was so fucking crazy. I thought I was going to collapse.”

            “Wait, wait a minute. Eric slapped you?” Jane asked, scandalized.

            “He did.” Tina said sadly, unconsciously touching her cheek. The slap still stung two days later, even if she was coping with the break-up nicely. “I never knew he had it in him.”

Jane rubbed circles on her friend’s back, trying to soothe her. Eric Larson. Who would have thought he had the Fight Club tendencies? At least someone saved Tina from her humiliation. And since she got herself a new friend, she wouldn’t be as lonely as she was when she arrived in LA. So who was Tina’s new friend? “What’s your housemate’s name?”

            “Bette Porter.”

            Jane sent a mouthful of coffee flying at the direction of floor. “Bette Porter?”

            “Yeah, you know, the gallery owner.”

            “Yeah, the single, lesbian gallery owner.” Jane said. “She’s your new housemate?”

            Tina observed the puzzled and slightly fascinated look on Jane’s face and idly wondered if there was something wrong with her new housemate. She then shook her head and remembered. This was Jane she was talking to. Right. “What, should I be worried?”

            “That the whole of West Hollywood would come looking for you, wanting to rip your head off for sharing a house with Bette Porter?” Jane asked in one breath. “Hell yeah. I mean, I want to rip your head off right now. Wow, Tina. You got lucky during the weekend.”

            “She has a great body,” Tina said offhandedly, nodding. “For thirty-eight. And she’s smart, she loves to talk about art, and she’s got this vibrant aura you can sense ten feet away.”

            Jane raised an eyebrow at Tina as they entered the latter’s office. “Excuse me?”

            “What? Am I not allowed to say my opinion about anyone anymore?”

            “No.” Jane drawled out, as she sat on the chair across Tina’s desk. “Are you attracted?”

            “I’m straight, Jane.” Tina reminded her, raising both eyebrows. “She’s a good person.”

            “Mm-hmmm.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean, huh?”

            “I’m gonna tell you once and never again,” Jane said, biting on her sandwich. “Bette Porter has a very effective way of changing other people’s minds, I promise.”

            Tina shook her head wordlessly and bit into her sandwich.