Justine sat examining her nails pretending to ignore Bette as if she were rambling about the joy quantum physics.

"Finished?"

Bette just nodded her answer and Justine folded her hands and leaned forward towards the table.

"Now let’s get down to it. Let’s get the shit out in the open and play the card that you’re trying to hide from everyone including yourself. You don’t know the first thing about "what Tina deserves." Truthfully you never even knew what any of your girlfriends wanted. No body wants a woman who can’t stand upright, due to lack of spine. If you weren’t so gutless Bette you would’ve told Tina about me months ago. Don’t try and use that "I’m torn between blood and friendship" shit on me because it doesn’t cut it. You knew who and what I was when I asked Tina out, why didn’t you warn her then?"

"…I…"

"Exactly, gutless."

"I remember you telling me how much you needed someone like Tina in your life. I ignored what I felt and told Tina to take the chance and see where you two might end up. Never in a million years did I think that you would treat her like a piece of property. To be shined and looked at when it suits you."

"Come on now cousin you really could not have believed that I’d change that much in 3 months. The fact of the matter is you’re just as guilty as I am. Every excuse you made for me being late, missing dinners, and missing celebrations. So don’t run that "St. Bette" shit on me." Justine downed her martini, and grabbed her coat. In a swoop she had it on and was digging in her pocket. She counted out some change and as the waitress was approaching she finished her little rant in Bette’s ear. She used the back of Bette’s chair and the table for leverage. She was close enough so Bette could feel the malice that dripped off of her words and could smell the liquor on her breath, " Now hear this cousin, you stay the fuck away from Tina and you stay the fuck away from me!"

As she was leaving she raised her voice and said loud enough for the next table to hear but subtle enough not to cause a scene "You’d have a better chance of fucking that waitress than you would of touching my woman." She threw the money on table and walked with her back straightened and her chest high as flung her purse over her shoulder.

And with that final statement she pushed open the door and was gone. The next tables patrons were left staring at Bette as she sat trying to gain some sort of control over her mind and emotions. The waitress till standing there not knowing what to do or to say went right into her natural mode, hesitantly she said "Are you ready to order?"

"No thank you." Was Bette’s reply as she gathered her coat and purse and walked out of the restaurant in disbelief. Who was this woman masquerading in her cousin’s body? What resolution came out of this meeting? She was till left not knowing what to do about Justine. Bette hopped in her car and decided to take the long way home.

………………………..

"There’s something I’m missing I know it I can see it all right in front of me but I don’t know what it is yet?"

"You don’t know or you don’t want to know?"

"Come on Alice I’m stuck at real crossroads here."

"Tina I’m not going to tell you what to do I’m just saying that you need to listen to what’s going on in there." Alice finished with a touching hand on Tina’s heart. "9 times out of 10 she’ll always lead you to the right place."

Tina’s eyes were lazily focused on some in animate object in alice’s apartment, when the only words that could and would come to mind were

"You’re right…….