In the present, their plates had arrived. Bette had not deviated from her usual order: seared salmon salad with a champagne vinaigrette. Their cutlery clinked gently on their plates as they began to eat.

”And you’re definitely coming on Thursday night?” Alice pointed at Bette, mouth full of falafel. Bette laughed.

”Have I ever missed one of your birthdays? I’m not prepared for that wrath if I rain checked,” Bette and Shane shared a knowing look.

”And you’re bringing Nicole?” Alice swallowed, wiping her mouth.

”Who’s Nicole?” Shane threw Bette a puzzled look.

Bette sighed, and said to Shane ”It’s not serious,” and then sternly to Alice ”Well I don’t really have a choice, because you invited her personally,”. Bette raised her eyebrows with accusation.

Alice waved her off. ”But you would have brought her anyway. I’m trying to bring her into the fold! She’s into you!”. Alice tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, and rested her chin on her palms. ”So cute together,” she laughed.

”We are not together, Alice. We’ve been on a few dates, that’s it.” Bette groaned internally. Alice was impossible, and her chance meeting of Nicole (because of course Alice had dropped in unannounced at Bette’s home the previous Saturday morning) made her relentless. How did she even get Nicole’s number to invite her, Bette wondered, before realising there was no point in asking – Alice was a journalist at heart, after all.

Bette had met Nicole through work – of course. Nicole was an architect working on the extension in Bette’s building, and they had crossed paths a few times. Bette was reluctant to accept Nicole’s invitation for drinks, but had found her intelligent, well-spoken, and genuinely interesting. And helpfully, she was strikingly beautiful. Nicole was someone Bette thought she might have a chance of a future with, if she wasn’t still slipping away in the dark of the night to see Tina every few weeks. Hooking up with Tina, hung up on Tina… It was a very grey area for Bette. It felt unfitting to try and commit to a new relationship when she still had one foot in the door of her last one. 

The remainder of their meal went by without incident. Alice entertained them with the wonderful world of Alice, and Shane provided a brief commentary on her wife Quiara’s music tour. Bette slipped in and out of the present, thinking about the weekend, and how despite the deceptive and unethical nature of her plans for Saturday night, she was counting down the moments until she could touch Tina again.