Rachel smiled, “Oh, yeah.  Family legend has it that we actually have a lot of various art and painting scattered all around, but the family is so big and scattered all over the US and Europe to begin with, that several attempts to organize and catalogue all of it have led to enormous frustration on the part of everyone involved.”

Bette and Tina smiled sympathetically.  They belonged to small families, and couldn’t imagine what it was like to be part of a large, extended, and extensive family.    

Rachel smiled and shook her head, “Ahh… the MacAllans.”

Bette and Tina sat up simultaneously, and Bette asked, “MacAllan?”

Rachel nodded, “Uh huh.  My mom’s family.”

“Do you know a Lauren MacAllan?” Bette asked casually.

“Yes,” Rachel answered.  “My second cousin … so you know her?  I know, I know, hard to believe we’re cousins since she’s this Nordic blonde princess type, while I have dark brown hair and brown eyes … I get my coloring from my dad.  And she gets it, partially, from the MacAllan, the blonde side of it, as well as from her dad, I guess.”

She tilted her head to one side, “Come to think of it … Lauren is opening a gallery in the spring, and says she has an interesting roster of artists.”

She looked at Bette, “You should check it out.  You’re a collector, right?  So you can probably give her some advice on what collectors are looking for these days.”

Bette and Tina exchanged glances.

Their dinner arrived, and as the server brought Tina’s Muscovy Duck over, another server brought her three red roses, and laid them in front of her.

This time Rachel remained quiet as Bette and Tina exchanged kisses, but couldn’t help a small smile while she glanced at the couple from time to time.

“I’m sorry….,” Tina started to say, as she sat back, starry-eyed as she looked at Rachel.

“Tina please,” Rachel cut in.  “One should never apologize about love and passion.  I wouldn’t!  Especially If I had someone like Bette, someone as romantic and beautiful as her, and who was clearly head over heels in love with me … I wouldn’t stop kissing her at all, actually!”

Bette laughed lightly, shaking her head.  “And vice-versa,” the brunette added.