“We know you’re giving up a lot, Bette.  I mean…you could have asked for millions in fees for having found that art.  Those were priceless.”

“So I’m surprised that this is all you’re negotiating for…”

Bette interrupted him, and smiled, “Mike, all that wouldn’t matter if I lost her.  And I would have, right?  If I’d have to live underground, just periodically surfacing to collect on all those fees you’re talking about?  I mean my life would be a living hell, and I’d be in a perpetual state of fear, not knowing if the next knock on the door is from an agent or someone who was screwed over because I’d found something they had been trying to keep for all these years.”

“I won’t live like that, Mike.  I won’t live in fear.”

“And…,” she blew a breath out, “I won’t live without her.”

He smiled, and sat next to her to give her a quick hug.

“You know I’m a sucker for a love story, right?”

Bette chuckled.

“Okay, how about I throw something extra into the deal?”

Bette eyed him warily, then asked, “What?”

“Well….Tina’s still in Paris, because they are now able to shoot some scenes over there for this movie that her production company is making.”

“Yeah?” Bette asked, with a huge smile, feeling pleased for Tina.

“Two or three weeks from now, we can make it happen that she has to come to DC, and you and her can spend…a week-end?”  He saw Bette’s face light up. “Okay a whole week together.”

He gasped when she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Her eyes were wet with tears.

“Maybe you can talk her into moving to New York then?” he asked, smiling.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(The scene shifts to three weeks later, in Paris)

Tina and Kate had just finished a long video-conference with Aaron.  They had gone over details of the final locations that they had a broader list to, and had agreed on a production schedule.  Based on everything that they had managed to work out over the past week, Tina estimated they could start shooting in a month.

Kate and Aaron were excited about the project, and continued chatting about other details after Tina had gone through the agenda with them.