“Who are you talking to?  There’s no one here but you.”  She chortled.

Bette got down to work, writing feverishly for a good twenty minutes before she looked up and pulled Gail’s arm to her.  She kissed her hand and then scooted her chair so that there was little space between them and kissed her soundly on the mouth.  When Bette finally unlocked her lips from Gail’s, Gail said, “It seems that somehow my Cone of Silence has malfunctioned.”

“Damn spy technology.”  Bette grinned.  She had watched ‘Get Smart’ in re-runs as a kid with Kit and knew what Gail referenced.  She kissed her again, not caring if any of her co-workers walked in on them, but figuring they wouldn’t.  Few people spent time in that part of the library.

“Back to work, kid.”

“It’s woman, to you.”

“Oh, I know.  I definitely know.”

Bette flushed at this comment, but shook her head, shaking off the desire she was feeling and made a show of standing and moving her chair back to its place and settling in again.  She snarled at Gail.  “Could you please leave me alone?”

The day ended quickly.  Bette had far more information and direction for her papers than she had believed.  She was nearly finished with paper number one when five o’clock rolled around.  Gail had left two hours earlier and Bette agreed to return to her house that night with her overnight bag.

* * * * *

Alice had changed positions again.  She was leaning against the opposite chair and she threw her head back, stretching her neck and held her hands in front of her in lighthearted subjugation.  “Please tell me this is where the ***** comes in,” she begged.

“You were never very good with foreplay,” Bette answered.  “You always rushed.”

“C’mon.”

“No ***** for you,” Bette said sternly.

“Bette, Bette, c’mon.  Please.”

“Oh, all right.”

* * * * *

That night, Bette was as relaxed as she could be for someone whose life had been turned upside down in just a day.  She was positive her father wouldn’t show up in New Haven.  Ash had no intention of trying to reach her because he had said his peace and no matter how much he wanted her, he would not reach out at this point.  She either had to go pleading for forgiveness and accept his verbal flogging or get on with life.  She was joyfully choosing to get on with it.  In the recesses of her brain, she couldn’t quite understand why it had been so easy to let go of him, but she didn’t want to think about it.