“Oh, please don’t feel that way,” Bette said warmly, giving Rachel a small smile.  “I made our dinner plans without checking with Tina … yes, intending to romance her, since I hadn’t seen her for Valentine’s Day … um … and it seems I had nothing better to do, so Tina says!” she said, giving Tina a teasing smile.

“Well if I had to guess, I bet you were parked in front of the Jay DeFeo in SFMoMa when I called, weren’t you?,” Tina responded with teasing laugh of her own, reaching over to tickle Bette on her side.

“It’s on loan somewhere else, actually … so I had to do a bit of digging to find it first!,” Bette exclaimed, trying to keep her giggle down and gently holding Tina’s hand back from her ticklish side.

“Oh, the Veronica!” Rachel exclaimed.

“Yeah, you know it?” Bette asked, looking at Rachel with some surprise, smiling at Tina as the blonde laid Bette’s hand on the blonde’s thigh, then continued to spoon her soup.

Rachel nodded, and then added, “But if I could choose, there’s something else I like actually…”

“The Eyes,” Bette and Rachel said simultaneously, and then laughed together.   “Or The Last Valentine,” Bette added.  Rachel nodded.

“Are you a fan?” Bette asked, looking at Rachel with a curious smile.  “I’m surprised,” she added when Rachel said she was.

“Yeah, we’re not all philistines in the film industry you know,” Tina remarked, grinning at Bette.  She added, “But I should add Rachel has an unusual background … she didn’t start in our industry, and was working at Vogue first, then Ralph Lauren, right?”  Rachel nodded, and Tina continued, “And before all that I think she studied management and minored in communications at Brown.  Then she joined us, after working with another New York-based designer, and rose rapidly through the ranks in Film Features.  And now, here she is!”

Bette smiled, thinking aloud, “Hmm… no wonder!”

Rachel laughed, “No wonder what?”

“No wonder you have that … Vogue feel and polish.”

“Why do you say that?” Rachel asked, wondering if Bette was just teasing.

“Well, you tell me, who else have you seen in San Francisco today wearing a cobalt body suit top with a neon lemon-yellow belt and a ruffle skirt mini?” the brunette asked, smiling.