Alice: You’d think.

Tina: Al, I’d really love
to keep talking to you, but traffic is starting to move again and I need to get
home.

Alice: Awwww B & T at
home – I’ve missed that – hell, we’ve all miss that.

Tina: Don’t get ahead of
me Alice. I’m hoping all goes well but I don’t want to jinx it.

Alice: So I guess I’ll see
you guys tonight at the party – not that I really want to go.

Tina: Al you and Dana just
need to quit pussyfooting around the situation and get it all out in the open.
We can all see how into each other you are.

Alice: Uh How Never mind.

For once, Alice is
speechless. Tina sees it as her opportunity to end the conversation and get
back to the task at hand – driving.

Tina: Hey, I’ll be there
tonight if you need a friend.

Alice: Thanks, T.

Tina: Ok, I really have to
go. I’ll see you later Alice.

Alice: Okay Tina – see you
later.

Tina clicks off the phone
and focuses all of her attention on the rest of the drive to the house. She
arrives and sees the Saab in the driveway. Tina pulls in behind Bette’s car and
glances at her watch and sees that it’s been almost an hour since she last
spoke with Bette. She lost all track of time talking to Alice prior to leaving
the parking garage. She climbs out of the car, walks up to the front door and,
out of habit, uses her key to unlock the door. She scans the room and sees the
remnants of the smashed cordless phone still on the living room floor from
Bette’s outburst earlier that morning. She sighs, walks over to what’s left of
the phone and picks it up to throw it away. Along the way, she can see that the
message light on the answering machine is blinking. She presses the play button
and hears the few messages that she left throughout the afternoon for Bette
after her visit to Tina’s work. Other than Bette’s keys on the dining room
table, there’s no other sign that Bette’s been home.

Tina walks passed the
bathroom door that’s ajar, peeks inside and doesn’t see Bette there. She rounds
the corner, walks into the bedroom and sees Bette sprawled out on the bed. Tina
walks over to Bette’s side of the bed and hovers over her.

TBC…