SOMETHING SO RIGHT

Chapter 89

Tina was really looking forward to meeting Kit. It was obvious that
Bette really adored her older half sister and was concerned about her
problems. Tina’s prime fear was for Bette – she was not handling the
whole business about her mother very well and unless things improved
Bette was going to start cracking up. Tina knew how Bette reacted under
pressure – they had been together for two shows. She knew that work
pressure was something that she was learning to leave behind when she
got home.

Tina had gently taught her how to work smarter by not working
such long hours. That had paid off with Bette being less freaked out
when it came to the show’s launch. What Tina was less sure that Bette
could deal with was personal pressure – she had gone to pieces when Tina
had refused to marry her. There had been other times when they had
argued and Bette had not dealt well with the strain it had put on their
relationship.
Tina saw Bette with Kit – the older woman was handsome with Bette’s
winning smile.
"Hey there "Tina walked across
Bette was beaming
"Hey honey – Tina -I want you to meet my sister Kit Porter. Kit – this
is beloved Tina "
"Hello Kit – pleased to meet you "Tina took her hand and shook it "It’s
great to finally put a face to the name. How are you?"
"I am delighted to meet you Tina – Bette is always singing your praises.
You must be one heck of a gal to have tamed my ass chasing sister "
"Bette’s a pussy cat "Tina replied sitting down and looking at Kit. The
older woman had long dark hair just like Bette – her facial features
were a little fuller but she was still a Porter. Kit saw immediately how
Bette looked at the blonde – with total puppy dog devotion. Yes – she
had met her match and not before time.
"Well it’s really good to have the two of you together – I think lunch
is on me – do you want to see a menu Ti "
"Chicken sandwich is fine by me Bette "
"Okay – Kit?"
"I will have the same "
"Okay – three chicken sandwiches, three coffees and as it’s a
celebration I think chocolate cake to follow "
"You trying to sabotage me before this race on Sunday "Tina challenged
Bette laughed and explained to Kit
"Tina and I are taking part in a 10k race for breast cancer on Sunday
with a friend of ours. Its going to be tasty as I have no intention of
letting Tina or our friend Helena bet me"
"Bette usually wins every race she takes part in – you shouldn’t feel
too bad about losing to her "
Tina raised an eyebrow
"Care to tell your sister what happened the first time that you and I
went running?"
"I can’t remember "Bette lied with a hug grin on her face
"You damn liar Porter – god – I cannot believe how blatantly you just
lied there Bette "
"You heard my sister – I always win "
Tina pretended to be outraged
"I am shocked that you can tell such a bare faced lie Bette Porter "
Bette was laughing "Its true – can’t remember. I guess that I won "
"Three lies in a row "Tina shook her head "That’s just disgraceful "
Bette was still laughing "Okay – just to stop Little Ms Honest – the
first time Tina and I ran it was down at the beach and she burnt me. I
was close to collapse. In fact looking back I think the only thing that
stopped me collapsing before our run had finished was how hard I was
trying to impress this new girlfriend of mine. It was the closest I have
ever come to throwing up after a run"
Kit was amazed
"You did that to Bette?"
"She’s run me into the ground a few times. I would say that in the rare
times we race one another it’s about 50/50 wouldn’t you babe?" Bette
explained
"I would say 60/40 in my favour but as Bette is so bad at maths at the
moment I will let it go "
Bette laughed and rested her hand on Tina’s back
"I love how competitive she is – I just didn’t bank on the fact that she
can whip my ass "
"Well Lord Almighty – that is one turn up for the books. Bette Porter
not winning all the time "
"I know – its mean of her isn’t it Kit. You are my sister – tell her to
let me win "
"Oh no – you have been the top of the class for far too long… it
doesn’t do you any harm to lose out. Is she a graceful loser?"
"She is a good loser even though I know how much it drives her crazy "
"Well Bette girl – this is a good thing "
"How can losing be good?" Bette objected
"Because not everyone can be first – you have to learn to lose"
"She will get a further lesson in losing on Sunday – don’t worry about
that Kit "
Bette raised an eyebrow "You interested in turning your self confidence
into a bet?"
"What did you have in mind?"
As what Bette had in mind was sexual and she didn’t think her sister
needed to hear the finer points of their love life she shrugged
"I sure I can come up with something "
As Tina also knew that their bets were nearly always sexual and she also
didn’t want to discuss it in front of Kit she nodded
"I look forward to your suggestions – now about that sandwich you
promised us?"
"Okay – I’m going to the counter "
Bette got up and looked at her sister
"If she asks you to tell her embarrassing stories you are to say no "
Kit laughed "We’ll see "
Bette walked off delighted at the opening interchanges between the three
women. Kit looked at Tina and approved – she was beautiful, smart and
was obviously a match for Bette.
Tina wanted Kit to like her – especially as she hoped Kit would become
an ally.
"It’s good to meet you "Tina said
"It’s very good to meet you "Kit said "I know Bette well enough to know
that she adores you "
Tina nodded "It’s a two way thing – I love Bette very much and we are
happy "
"That is obvious – she just lights up when she talks about you and I can
see why "
Tina smiled "Thank you "
"I am sorry that it has taken so long before we have met. That was all
down to me – I was worried that "
"Its okay Kit – I am just glad that we have met. I hope that you will be
around more – you are welcome to come over to see us any time you want.
I am especially glad that you and Bette are talking at the moment "
"Her mother "
Tina glanced behind her and looked to see Bette standing waiting to be
place her order. Tina looked back
"Kit – this really worries me. Bette is not as strong as she pretends.
This thing with her mother is hard for her "
"I can see that – I am shocked "
"That she has shown up?"
"Yes – how long has it been since she saw Bette?"
"27 years"
Kit shook her head "I really do not understand people at times. Honestly
Tina – how is she handling it?"
"It could go either way – she is thrilled in a lot of ways but she is
also just terrified in case she hurts her again"
"I can see that "Kit nodded "What do you make of her?"
"She seems genuine – she really seems that she wants to make amends for
the life time that she has been out of her life. But and it’s a but –
Bette’s scared "
"Well let’s see if we can talk to her about how she feels"
"Two hands are better than one "Tina said reassured
A few minutes later Bette came back and sat down
"I told Kit about my mom "Bette told Tina "I was asking her what she
remembered about her"
"Would you recognise her?" Tina asked
"I have said that I would give it a go but it’s been a long time. Do you
still need proof?"
Bette shrugged "I don’t know "
"Babe – I think she is your mom. That’s not in question unless we go for
a blood test. You told Kit about the trust fund?"
"Not yet "Bette looked at her sister
"She set a trust fund up for me "
"Nice "
"To inherit it when Bette was 30 "
Kit raised her eyebrow "I might have lost several million brain cells
through booze but you are not 30 "
"No – I am 31 "Bette said
"You don’t have your trust fund?"
"When Elizabeth told me it existed it was the first I had heard of it"
"Who knew about it?"
"Melvin "
"Oh man -he’s keeping money from you – hey I wouldn’t put it past him to
have kept some of the money for himself "
Both Bette and Tina were on the comment at once – kit saw the way they
looked at one another
"What?"
"Elizabeth told Bette that she had to top up Bette’s college fund "Tina
explained
"Oh boy "
Bette nodded "Why did you say that you wouldn’t put it past him?"
Kit held her hands up "He washed his hands of me a long time ago – you
know that but I do have very clear memories of him and one of the things
I remember clearly was that he was obsessed with money and having as
much of it as possible. He earned lots of money but still he would bring
home things that he had taken from work – not just the odd pen but boxes
of paper and huge packs of pencils. Don’t you remember Bette he used to
have a cupboard in his study that looked like a damn stationary store?"
"He stole all of them? "
"Hell yes – you didn’t know that?"
"No "
"My point is – he didn’t need these things, it wasn’t about not being
able to afford a notebook or pen. I always assessed that he was just
plain mean. He was the original Scrooge – it wasn’t a great
neighbourhood we lived in but we all went trick or treating and everyone
gave us candy – I remember being so embarrassed when the sweets that he
gave away were out of date and tasted nasty. My mother was always
calling him mean "
Bette rubbed her brow "So you are not surprised that he dipped into my
college fund "
"When you went to college I remember being surprised that he had kept
his sticky fingers out of your fund "
"Did you have a college fund Kit?"
"My fund wasn’t as huge as Bette’s and that was fine because I never
wanted to go to college – I never had the brain that my clever sister
has. There was money when I was 21 – I used it to get a nice apartment
and to pay the deposit on a car "
Bette looked at Tina
"So she could well have been right about having to top up my college
fund "
Tina nodded
"The circumstantial evidence is good so far "
"Has he been dipping into this trust fund?" Kit asked
"He can’t "Bette says
"But he can keep its existence from you "Tina said "What happened? It
slipped his mind – I don’t buy that "
"That’s what I want answers about " Bette said "Why has he not told me
anything about her – he told me that she had gone because she just
didn’t love me and him enough to stay"
Tina’s hand had been on Bette’s knee – she took hold of her hand and
squeezed it. Kit saw it and approved – that was what Bette had always
needed – love and it looked like she had it in abundance now. Kit relied
a lot on her instincts and she was telling herself that Bette had found
a soul mate – it was truly wonderful to see.