Alice leaned to Bette’s side and whispered in her ear “See, it always can be worse.” Seeing that her surprised friend would be speechless for too long, she took charge of the situation.

            “Well, since it’s just us we can order the drinks and maybe do a toast for a well successful trip.”

            Meanwhile, Tina Kennard was still in her office. Her work day had finished almost one hour ago, but she couldn’t figure out what to do. She was now standing by the window looking outside. Somehow the lights of the night in LA had a calm effect on her. She needed that. She knew Erick was expecting her and she wanted to support him, he was really excited about his trip. But she didn’t like the idea of having an intimate dinner with Bette Porter. First because she wasn’t comfortable by not saying to Erick about the kiss or the orchid and that gentle card. But she didn’t want upset him with something that looked like an impulsive mistake. And she knew that if Bette was really the exceptional professional that Erick thought, she wouldn’t tell or do anything in front of him. Second, she was afraid. If a dinner with twenty or thirty other people and an almost innocent kiss had disturbed the rest of her week, would it be prudent to be so close of that woman again?

            She couldn’t explain how a person, let alone a woman could have that effect on her. Was it attraction? No, of course not, I’m straight! But she knew that if she was having to remind herself she was straight, something was wrong. And she definitely didn’t want problems in her life, she was finally close to where she wanted to be,  personally and professionally. 

            She repeated herself her new mantra of the day “It means nothing. She’s just an interesting person with a natural and charismatic magnetism. Nothing more. You can handle that.” She knew she could. She had handled of not thinking about her during the whole weekend, except a few little times. That she had stayed with Erick almost the whole weekend and that Bette’s smiling face had invaded her mind even when she was having ***** with Erick were details she preferred to ignore for now. She walked to her desk, took her purse and keys and left. From the moment she started the car until arrive to the restaurant she had repeated her mantra so many times she almost believed it was true.