She continued to pull a resistant Tina deeper into the hall.  When they got into a section that adjoined another room that wasn’t being used, Bette felt better that it was unlikely they would be overheard by anyone in the more secluded section of the hall.

“So what do you want to know?,” she asked Tina, in cool, clipped tones, as she released her hold on the blonde’s elbow.

Tina massaged her elbow, seeing a bruise developing.

“Let’s have it.  You want to know if I fucked her, is that it?,” Bette asked sharply.  Tina pursed her lips, still massaging her elbow, but less certain now about what it was that was upsetting her.

“No I did not fuck her,” Bette answered her own question.  “I have not and will not fuck anyone except you, from the time we met in my gallery, until fifty to sixty years from now.  You and I will be together ‘til then, if we’re lucky to live that long.”

“Tina?,” Bette asked. Tina looked back at her, blowing a deep breath out.

Bette grew impatient at Tina’s lack of response, “Do you want me to put a full-page ad out in the New York Times, T?  Just to make things clear to everyone?  And to you?” she asked pointedly, her arms akimbo, and her own voice rising now.

“Is that what it will take?”

Tina’s jealous anger was only slowly abating.

“Do you?” Bette pressed her.

 “Well, who else is out there, Bette?  What other bombshell is out there? Or is there a whole army of former girlfriends scattered in all four corners of the world, who can’t wait to tell me just how deeply they’d sunk their claws into you?,” Tina fought back.

Bette crossed her arms in front of her, and continued, “The text in the ad will declare my undying, everlasting love for you, and for Angelica.  And in it I will publicly declare that my life and my treasure are yours. I’ll have it notarized and everything.  I’m pretty sure that’s a public declaration you’ll be able to take to the bank anytime you want to.  I will use the family picture we both love as the ad’s background, and I will blow the ad up to the sturdiest material out there, and hang that outside our building, so that anyone passing by, in case they miss the ad, will know, anyway.”