I was a different person, then.

Marissa had turned to Bette, leaning closer to ask “… and I was just wondering whether you knew anyone here…” she paused when she saw Jodie walking across the circle, swaying a little, and apparently headed towards Bette. She eyed her brunette friend’s stiff posture, set jawline, and terse lips. What the …

“Hi Bette,” Jodie said aloud, slurring her words slightly, as she stepped near Bette, to Marissa’s surprise. I thought she couldn’t …

You look great, Jodie signed to Bette.

Bette pursed her lips in a half-smile half-frown in response. Jodie’s been drinking, she thought to herself. Shit, this could go badly.

“Oh so you know each other already?” Marissa asked. Bette turned away from Jodie to look at Marissa, nodding her head, the normally warm, bewitching brown eyes narrowed in concentration. Uh oh, Marissa thought.

Bette explained briefly, “Jodie and I dated when I was still in LA.” She took another sip of the sangria, her thoughts churning a mile a minute.

Jodie signed something, and Marissa looked sideways at Bette with a quick, questioning look. Bette shook her head slightly at Jodie, and pursed her lips again in a half-smile, half frown.   She explained to Marissa, “Jodie said she was one of the dozens I’d been involved with.”

“Dozens and dozens,” Jodie said out loud to Marissa, who was surprised again to hear the sculptor talk. Jodie followed her comment with a caustic chuckle. “And dozens …”

Marissa gave the sculptor a polite smile, and then glanced at Bette, her look speaking volumes. She saw her brunette friend had thankfully settled from the stiff and guarded posture she’d assumed when Jodie had first approached them — this could mean Bette had settled on an approach on how to deal with this tense situation.  Bette’s eyes were once more warm and open, at least towards her, but she saw they were still wary when the brunette shifted her glance back to Jodie.  Marissa thought, If there’s anyone who can handle an awkward scene with a tipsy ex it would be the smooth Bette Porter-Kennard.

“Well … reunions between exes can be … um…,” Marissa started, smiling sympathetically at Bette.   Should I leave you now?

“Marissa?” Lauren called out to her from another part of the loose circle.