Bette descends the steps and approaches with an easy smile. “Bette Porter.”

Dana extends her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Bette pauses, studying her more closely, then her eyes widen slightly. “Wait… you’re Dana Fairbanks. As in the tennis star?”

Dana Fairbanks laughs and gives a modest shrug. “Well… retired tennis player, but yes. That’s me…I’m CU’s head tennis coach now…”

Bette smiles. “Wow…Nice.” She glances around the neighborhood again, clearly reassessing. Granted, the houses are nice, but not exactly where she would expect a sports superstar to live.

Dana catches the look and smirks. “I’m not that kind of celebrity.”

Bette laughs. “Didn’t I see you in a Sprite commercial recently?”

Dana shrugs. “Maybe.” She nods toward the house next door. “When you meet my wife Lara, you’ll understand why I stay grounded.”

Bette nods, amused. “Gotcha.” She slips her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt and looks down the tree-lined street. “I’ve seen you running every morning. Is this the best area to run? I’ve done a little research, but I haven’t quite gotten a handle on the area.”

Dana nods. “Running the campus is nice, but Runyon Park is really great.” Her expression softens. “My wife and I used to run there together, but she’s had to put running on hold for a while.”

Bette is about to ask why when a voice calls from across the yard.

“Baby!”

Bette looks over. A visibly pregnant woman stands on the front lawn, one hand resting on her belly.

Bette chuckles, instantly understanding.

Dana turns and smiles. “I’ll be right there, honey!”

She looks back at Bette. “If you want, we can go to Runyon tomorrow morning.”

Bette smiles. “That sounds great.”

Dana backs away. “Does six work?”

“Perfect.”

“Cool. See you in the morning.”

“See you then.” Bette watches Dana jog back across the lawn, where her wife wraps an arm around her waist and leads her toward the house.

Bette smiles to herself, and then she returns to her porch. She settles back into her chair and lifts the next faculty profile….

***

Tina slips through the revolving doors of Alphaville Studios at exactly 8:03 a.m., balancing her iced latte in one hand and a messenger bag over her shoulder.