“Hi, Gail.  Bette Porter.”

“Bette, what a surprise.  How’s it going?”

“Fine,” Bette said clearly with not a trace of being under the weather.  “Hey, Gail, I was wondering if you’d like to get together this evening and take in a movie and dinner.”

“Sounds good.  You don’t have plans with your boyfriend this evening?  Didn’t you mention some party or something?”

“Oh, that was cancelled and he wasn’t much in to going out.  So, is there anything special you want to see?”

“No, you can choose.”

Bette grabbed the paper from her bed and opened it onto the desk.  “I was thinking maybe ‘Jagged Edge.’ It came out a couple of weeks ago and sounds good.  What d’ya think?”

“Good.  Glenn Close is in that.  I saw her a couple of years ago in ‘The Big Chill’ and thought she was great.”

“Okay, so there’s a 7:10 showing and a 9:30 show.  Do you want dinner before or after?”

“After, if that’s all right.”

“Sure, I’ll pick you up in about 30 minutes?”

Gail laughed.  “Sure.”  She paused before adding, “You’re going to pick me up to take me to the movies and dinner?  Bette, is this a date?”

Flustered, Bette could barely respond.  “Uh, no…I – I was just, uh…”

“Joking.  See you soon.”

Bette dropped into her desk chair and shook her head.  “Is it?” she wondered aloud.

* * * * *

They were seated in the dark theatre watching previews and sharing a large popcorn.  Meryl Streep and Robert Redford’s images lit up the screen and the emotional announcer gave a voice over synopsis of their movie.  Bette watched the screen and turned to Gail just as Gail leaned to whisper something in her ear.  Gail’s lips practically grazed Bette’s forehead.

“Sorry,” they both whispered.  Bette shifted in her chair as did Gail.

Gail finally leaned in and said, “Have you read any Isak Dinesen?”

“No,” Bette whispered back.

“You’d like her.  Despite growing up in Denmark–not the most emotional people on earth, her writing is very erotic and artsy.”

Bette nodded. 

“What were you going to say?”