Suzanne:  How long have you two been together?

Bette:  It will be 25 years since we met sometime next spring. And we have been together most of that time.  We had a few blips, but we finally smooth the wrinkles out and it’s been smooth sailing ever since.

Suzanne: Was this something you both knew at first sight?

Tina: Yes and no. For me, I had never seen anyone who was so beautiful nor had I met someone who was so charismatic as Bette Porter. She was truly someone different from anyone I had ever met. I was attracted to her for sure but I didn’t know what the attraction was or what it meant. She was intelligent, attentive to her guest and to me even though she didn’t know me from Adam’s house cat. She was knowledgeable about the art she was showing that night. There were men and women, all watching every move she made and hanging on every word she said. It didn’t take me long to see that this gallery on this particular night was the place to be in Los Angeles at least if you were in the art world.

Bette:  I noticed Tina the moment she walked in the door. She had this golden glow about her. She was an absolutely gorgeous blonde who seemed confident and proud to be where she was that night. And she was the only person who walked through the door that didn’t immediately scan the room to locate me within the room.  So, I went over to greet the couple and get an introduction to this lovely woman. She was stunning from across the room but she was breathlessly beautiful up close. And when I shook her hand, a slight jolt of electricity came into my body. That was different. This woman was different and I wanted to know more about her. So, during the night, I made it a point to get back and talk to her about various pieces of art and I made sure that she and Eric Anderson were invited to the artist dinner afterward. During dinner, I found I was not following the conversation very well as I could not take my eyes off of Tina Kennard.

Tina:  So, the night ended with Eric taking me home. I think we had a fuss that night. He wanted me to move in and I had no desire to move into his house. He and I were engaged to be married. It was a recent thing and our relationship seemed to be growing cold. He was talking about his parents giving us an engagement party and then we could think about setting a date. But he wanted me to move in with him first. That was supposedly going to be our first big step to marriage. Anyway, I said no and sent him home. The next day, I got a phone call from Bette. It seems she found my earring. I made arrangements to go and pick it up.