From the moment she and Eric entered the gallery ten minutes earlier, her eyes immediately latched onto the sight of the elegant, sexy woman clearly regaling a group of men and women with what appeared to be a funny story.  Even from the back one could see the woman had an easy confidence about her, stood tall and straight, and possessed a body  women (and men) swooned over, which was now clothed in a classy lingerie-style black backless silk number that accentuated the smooth curves of a slim body and a toned back.   Her hair flowed softly down around her shoulders.  She emitted a presence matched to a sexy vibe.  All eyes in the circle around her seemed fastened to her every expression.  

When she suddenly threw her head back to laugh at a joke, the free, uninhibited guffaw coming out of her rose above the rest and caused Tina to smile, even if she didn’t quite know what it was for. The long, elegant neck the laugh exposed was rippling as her throat worked up and down it. The full-throated laugh, the neck, slim, graceful fingers that occasionally tapped her forehead, or tucked stray tendrils behind her: all triggered a memory that Tina couldn’t quite put her  finger on.

As she and Eric neared the group, she noted the reaction of the circle around the elegant woman was changing, and it seemed to be in response to something someone else had said. The woman had also seemed struck by something, almost causing her to bend over; and her shoulders, that seemed so strong just moments before, had slumped a bit.   She’d released the hand she was holding, much to the disappointment of the young woman beside her (and who seemed to be wearing too much jewelry, anyway, for Tina’s taste).

Like Tina, Eric also saw Bette holding court at the corner of the main gallery. He whispered a warning to Tina  about the inexplicable draw Bette seemed to have on women, even the straight ones. He tugged Tina along to walk towards Bette, seemingly oblivious to what was happening around the brunette. Tina hung back a bit, pulling gently on Eric’s arm, to see if she could delay his approach a few beats, to allow the woman a chance to regain her composure.