“When you left me in Paris, though, I had nowhere else to turn, nowhere else to go, but to work.  So I worked nonstop, and began to assemble a “toolbox” there, too.  But, as with LA, I more or less abandoned that also, because I was dropping out of that production, and moving to New York."

"Leaving all that, leaving all I knew…. I don’t know…I thought I could handle it.  I thought I was confident enough. But, I was flailing.  I felt vulnerable.”

“On the other hand, we’d made that decision together, and you were so busy, clearly enjoying your work with George.  No sense turning back now — so I was committed.”

She paused, pinched the bridge of her nose absentmindedly, and shut her eyes, concentrating on what to say next.

“As soon as I started in Film Features, I was thrown, more or less, on the deep end, right away.  This would have been okay, otherwise, but I discovered I was in an entirely different league altogether from Shaolin, and that the scales of reality, and the demands and expectations were really of a different order.  And egos were larger, too, in a way.  And so I found myself building, or rebuilding, a distinctive persona in Film Features, and in New York, in general, in order to make my way.  Pretty quickly, to some up the chain, part of that professional persona included not only being a sort of “foil” or companion for the senior guys in big meetings.  Moving downwards, or to people below the senior guys, this persona also included being some kind of sounding board, audience, or critic.  In the meantime, I had to carry a heavy load of films in production and development… because there was a lot going on… thus had to nurture not only writer, but also director and actor contacts.”

Bette sat quietly, observing Tina.  She knew Tina had been overwhelmed from the start.  Whereas she had George to guide her, and had run interference, Tina most likely didn’t have a “George.”  Yes, it was cutthroat, but Tina was good, Bette had thought at that time, and Bette had every confidence that Tina would make it.  That’s what she was projecting to Bette, and to the outside world, anyway.  Looking back now, she’d projected this confidence clearly at personal cost, though, and Bette was beginning to sense just how much.