“Are you okay Tina?”

             Tina just nodded and seated again. The color was back on her face. She drank a bit of whine. She noticed that Alice was watching her carefully and she knew she should say something. But she didn’t know exactly how much or what to say. Alice smiled to her, a reassuring smile, and remained quiet, which she already realized was quite unusual for Alice.  An understanding silent.  Tina drank another half glass of whine.  Alice decided to dissipate the tension.

             “Be careful, I can take advantage of you if you are drunk. This week I’m into women. ” Both women laugh at the comment. And then Alice took advantage. “Why are you nervous, Tina?”

             “I have been disturbed lately. So much in my mind.”

             “Any chance of some gallery owner had a role on it?”

             Tina was taken aback by the forwardness of the question. She scanned her options. She could lie, what was easier and safer, and she could tell the truth and have help to understand her feelings.

             “Maybe. I don’t know what she told you about the kiss. But it was nothing. Just a mistake of her.”

             Alice didn’t reply. She could sense there was more. And even she was a talker person by nature, she was an expert on eloquent silent. She waited and finally when the tension build up to the right level, Tina spoke again.

 “I’m confused. I’m straight. I’m happy with Erick. I don’t want anything with Bette. And I don’t know even if it was a reason for the kiss. But something on her attracted me. It’s not physical attraction, it’s more about connection. And that has haunting me and  it will keep haunting until I understand it, but I don’t know how. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

             “Yes. Bette has this effect on people. It’s part of the Porter’s charm. A mist of seduction, confidence, conviction, passion for her work. I felt that the first I saw her.”

             “How was that?”

             “Well, I just had turned out 21. I just had graduated and gotten the job at LA Magazine as a assistant of the assistant entertainment writer. And I finally rented a place alone. Unnecessary to say I was with that sense ‘I’m a adult now!’ So I went to the Milk to celebrate my maturity.”

             “What’s Milk?”

             “It’s a ***** place. I went there alone, because as an adult I would pick up the hottest woman there and take her home. Of course I choose Bette Porter! I went to her and asked if I could buy her a drink. She looked with those deep eyes, smiled that Porter’s special smile and said ‘Are you allowed to drink already?’ I received a gentle dismissed of her. But I didn’t give up. I would end in bed with her! Well I started to drink meanwhile and then I got drunk and some ***** hit on me trying to take advantage of my situation. Bette came on my rescue, and took me to her place, what I would discover later, she wasn’t used to allow the women go there. I ended in Porter’s bed, I even throw up on those fancy satin sheet. The next week I found her again at Milk. I went to apologize and she said ‘Tonight you’ll drink just coke.’ And I said ‘I can’t drink coke no one will drink with me coke.’ She smiled again that lovely smile and said ‘I will. But you won’t end on my bed again ever.’ Now your turn to tell me an embarrassing history.”

             The two now friends chatted for almost three more hours until call it a night. From there Alice went to Bette’s house. They needed talk.     

            NEXT:  Regressive count. Ten days until Erick propose Tina. What Bette will do about that?