Los Angeles shimmered in its Saturday night brilliance, darting past Bette’s view through the backseat window. Almost a lifetime of memories wove itself into the very fabric of this sprawling city. Almost all of them with Tina, she considered before gently shaking the thought.

Bette had opted for her classic black tailored trousers, and a cream-colored silk shirt with gentle ruffle detail around the buttons. She had managed to tame her curls, pinning them up out of the way. The decision served a dual purpose, combatting the lingering evening heat while emphasizing the graceful curve of her neck. Absentmindedly toying with her delicate gold necklace, Bette fixed her gaze upon the night, contemplating what was ahead.

We need to finish this, she thought to herself. It had been playing on her mind since their exchange on Thursday, although the thought had been quiet and not fully formed, like a cloud floating through a net. Or at least talk about it. As unbearable as the thought was, Bette knew it was only a matter of time before it imploded. Add to that the fact that neither of them were truly moving on by continuing to sleep together, and it seemed like the universe was doing its best to give Bette signs that it was time to say it aloud. Thinking back to that early devastation that followed the divorce, Bette fortified her resolve to at least try to talk about it with Tina tonight. To ask her what they were actually doing, because whatever this was couldn’t last forever – the two of them sneaking around, holding on to each other as their only constants in life.

Glancing down to her cell, Bette deftly thumbed through the menus to turn off Find My Friends while trying not to feel like she was on some clandestine mission, trying not to imagine Angie’s confusion if she saw her location in the same place as Tina’s. She let out a quiet sigh, glancing at the Uber driver. Thankfully, he had given her an obligatory greeting and then left her to her own thoughts as they gently weaved through traffic. Finally pulling in outside of Tina’s hotel, Bette wished the driver goodnight and closed the door gently behind her before walking across to the glass entryway. The black and white checkered floor underneath her feet seamlessly transitioned from outside to the interior, interrupted only by a geometric glass sculpture that cast a gentle glow across the lobby and the concierge desk.