Valerie: You’ve been meat-tagged.

Bette: Well that would seem to be my new identity.

A bit later Bette is sitting with her sister Kit Porter when yet another stranger comes up to her.

Stranger: My girlfriend over there (pointing to her friend) wants to know if you’re ready to start dating. She wants to be your rebound girlfriend.

Kit: Hey that’s not a bad offer.

Bette: Does it have an expiry date because I may need to think about it?

Stranger: I’ll go ask her.

Bette and her sister share an incredulous look and bust out laughing.

Kit: You’ve been pimped.

In the meantime Bette’s ex Tina Kennard is sitting at a nearby table with her new girlfriend Helena Peabody.

Kit is still giddy from the whole interaction with Bette. She gets up to make the rounds. As she’s visiting with her guests Tina intercepts her. Kit greets Tina with a hug. “Hello baby girl.” Even though Tina is estranged from her sister she is still treated like family.

“What do they all want?” Tina asked, curious as to all the attention that Bette was getting.

“Filet Mignon!!” Kit says flippantly and walks off. Tina stands rooted to the spot gazing at Bette longingly. Helena is watching Tina watching Bette. She’s also paying close attention to the two women sitting at Bette’s table. She recognizes the young artist.

A couple months later Helena’s ambush on Bette’s life resulted in Bette being fired from the CAC. Needless to say Bette never got the opportunity to procure the artist’s work for the CAC, but they were destined to meet again.

***

It was a year and half between the first and second time that Bette met the artist. After being fired from the CAC Bette became an independent art consultant. She and Tina had reconciled, Tina had given birth to their daughter Angelica and eight months later they separated for the second and final time. In the meantime the artist had also broken up with her long-time girlfriend Valerie so when they met again both were free to pursue the attraction they’d both felt upon meeting.

Although they dated Bette’s and the artist’s relationship was also as business associates since Bette represented her work. The artist was a brilliant talent and Bette worked very hard to get a lucrative deal with one of the most renowned art galleries in the country. Not only would her work premier in Los Angeles it would eventually tour the country and end in New York City. This was a wonderful opportunity for the artist to get national acclaim and it also meant a nice commission for Bette Porter.