“Told you.”

“No comments from the new fish, please.” Alice said turning to me, ignoring the fact that her cover had been blown.

We reached the table after a lot of zig zagging through the crowd and Alices repeated attempts to shield her face. We really are in a safe neighborhood.. Meaning we are in Tinas quiet, very upstanding, uptight little suburb. I didnt even know they made places like this until I met Tina here the last time. But we get there, and there sits my favorite babysitter in the whole world. She looked a little different today, her hair was pulled back and her make up and clothes werent as dark. It gave her a softer look, that I didnt mind at all. Dont get me wrong, Im glad she agreed to help, but she may prove to be delicious distraction as well.

“Hey” she says shyly up at me. Another new trait I didnt expect form her.

“Hi.” I say back, I feel myself biting my lip when I sit next to her. Strange weve been on a couple of dates, but nothing really has happened. But sitting next to her, when we came here to discuss business, will prove to be a task.

“Bette used to do the same thing.” I hear Tina in the background. Im not sure if I missed part of a conversation, or if shes talking to me. When I turn to her to ask, she has her head off to the side, studying the restaurant. Alice isnt saying anything, because she didnt want to go there, or she was distracted by the baby sleeping in her stroller. But I wanted to know.

“Do what, Tina?” I ask grabbing her hand gently to get her attention.

“A few things. That.” She said pointing to my hand holding hers. ” When she thought I was holding back or hiding something, she would make that face.”

“Well that proves it, we are officially related.” I joke, breaking some of the tension. Except for Alice, whose phone proved to be her entertainment.

“And biting her lip. When we first started dating. Anytime she got near me, I felt some sort of rush or heat that I know she felt too, so she would bite her lip. I think she wanted to tell me something, but she thought that it would be too much. I dont know, like she would scare me off or something.” She finished not with tears in her eyes, but longing. The same longing that I saw in Bette anytime Tina was mentioned. But Tinas longing seemed to be accompanied with regret.