“Hey Tina, are you free Monday for dinner?”

“Yes, I am. Why?”

“You won’t believe. Bette Porter invited us for dinner. She offered to give me some suggestions of places to see while I’m in Italy.”

“Ya know, maybe it’s better you have dinner alone. I like art but …”

“She insisted I bring someone with me. Her company isn’t an affectionate by art too. And  you had a great time in the opening. I should go now. See you tonight. Bye.”

Tina hang up the call and sighed – Just ***** great Erick. Just when I have started to concentrate on the script, you bring her back to my mind. – Tina tried again to focus the script. She grabbed the page she was reading for the last few hours – well, at least I finished one paragraph.  She couldn’t believe how hard was being work for the last two days. Ten minutes later and one sentence read again and again, she gave up. She opened her drawer and retrieved the card that was sent with the orchid that arrived earlier.  In the upper half of the card there was a small mirror, but it was enough to let her see at least her eyes and with some distance, her whole face. Below that a beautiful handwriting, but not so beautiful as the meaning of the words that they conveyed

“Can you blame an art specialist for not being able to resist a such masterpiece of beauty? However I know my gesture was inappropriate, I hope you forgive me.  Bette Porter.”

She smiled and closed the card. It was the nicest surprise in a long time. She was taken aback by the apologies as much as she was by the kiss. But what has surprised her the most was her own reaction to both episodes. Her natural reaction would be slap the kisser and refuse or give away the flower. But she didn’t. And that was one of the reasons she was having so much trouble to concentrate on her work today.

Bette Porter called her attention from the beginning. Erick was completely right. Bette Porter was a successful and intelligent woman with a special gift to make people feel welcome and appreciate art. She was flattered with the attention she received from the gallery owner and really appreciate the whole explanation that was given to her. And yet Tina had never had any difficult to judge and admire the beauty of a woman, without any second thoughts, Bette Porter has managed to enjoy the list of only a handful that Tina could consider really attractive.  But none of those qualities were enough to explain why she hadn’t had slapped Bette’s face after the kiss. She certainly wasn’t expecting for that. During the previous night, she suspected for a moment that Bette could be flirting with her. But she dismissed those thoughts when she paid attention to the attentive manner with which Bette was treating the other guests. So the kiss was totally a surprise. To tell the truth a shock – What was she expecting from me? Would she be an ***** to mess up with a client’s girlfriend? – No, deep in her heart Tina knew better. And that was why she accepted the apologies from Bette. And that was why she choose just leave without an word or confrontation after the kiss.

Okay, if it was to play the honesty game, Tina had to admit that the kiss wasn’t bad at all, quite the contrary, and that was another reason for her immediate departure after it. This thought, recurrent along the last two days, made Tina smile yet another time. How could a kiss so tender and pure, like no one she had had since Tommy had kissed her at her backyard when she was only twelve, swept her for her safe ground ?

Okay Tina, go back to the script – she tried to reason with herself for the millionth time today. But she knew that Bette Porter has possessed some place in her mind like some music that once heard early in the morning has the capacity to stay replaying again and again in her mind all day until the exhaustion. That day she only was able to stop thinking about that kiss every time she read again in her mind that card. But finally the next day she didn’t thought about any of them. She only had thoughts to some coming dinner.  

NEXT : the dinner double (?) date. Will Bette accomplish her goal with Tina? Will Alice help her?