After a few minutes of tense silence between them, they both blew a breath out.

Tina gave her a half-smile.  “I can put out my own ad in the Financial Times or any other international daily, too, you know. Saying the same thing about how I feel about you.  And people all over the world will know.”

Tina offered her hand, and continued softly, “I was just blindsided, baby.  I had no idea you spent a month in Mexico with an ex — someone you yourself told me whom you had a pretty significant relationship with.”

Bette took Tina’s hand, and pulled Tina closer, a smile beginning to form in her lips, also.  “I did not spend a month in Mexico with her, T.  I went to Mexico City just to check out a series of contemporary art exhibits that I’d read about.  At the time I left, I just felt I had to get out of New York, anyway, so headed there.  I bumped into her during one of the cocktails in one of the galleries, that’s true.  But I hang around Mexico City first to see if I really wanted to get one of the paintings I’d seen.  And then I heard that a European collector, long-rumored to have built an extensive mid-century collection, had retired to Acapulco, and was looking to unload some art.  So I headed there, and when Gia called, she told me she was also in Acapulco, and suggested we get together.”

Bette gripped Tina’s hand, “But not in any kind of romantic way, baby.  In fact, I spent much of the time I was in Acapulco with that European collector, when I eventually tracked him down.”

She gave Tina a small smile, “I’ll tell you all about my time there one day.  He had a pretty sad story, T.  And, to be honest, I shared some of my own heartache with him …since you and I had just broken up, and there was no escaping how I looked on the outside, as a result.”

Tina smiled, and squeezed Bette’s hand in return.  “Yeah, Gia told me that she’d never seen you look like that.”

Bette gave her a small smile.  They both knew how devastated each had felt following their break-up, and during their long separation.