The flush that easily spread from Tina’s neck to toes was now creeping up Bette’s body. She could feel it in her knees, then her waist, to her breasts. Her nipples hardened with a sudden waft of Tina’s scent on her shirt. Her cheeks puckered inwards as her throat went dry and as she sipped her water she swore Tina’s shampoo was lingering on her fingers.

Shane and Alice watched the interaction with vested interest.

“We’re on the wrong side, I can’t see Bette’s face,” Alice complained.

“Relax, it’s fine.”

Alice whispered into Shane’s ear, “Did she come here looking for Bette?”

“I don’t know,” with a double take over her shoulder to her nosey friend. “Can you back up a bit please?”

Alice took a step back, her eyes never leaving the back of Bette’s head. She tried to read her body language through her broad shoulders. “Wellll what did she say?”

“Just ‘hi Bette’ and ‘thank you’ when I gave her a drink.”

“You gave her a drink??”

“Club soda, Al.” Shane rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“I sense dramaaaa.”

Shane walked to the other end of the bar. She knew something was going on but couldn’t quite place exactly what yet. She interrupted the conversation between Tina’s ex-wife and fiancé to ask Carrie if she wanted to order lunch.

Bette turned to Shane a bit wide-eyed. “I’ll be over in just a minute,” hoping to hurry Carrie along.

Shane nodded, smacking her lips as she returned to Alice to report that Carrie didn’t want lunch and she was in fact just there to see Bette. Both tried to hide the fact that they were blatantly watching.

It was a long stretch of seconds before Carrie asked the second part of her question.

“Did she talk to you about Angie?”

Bette’s inner demon released the grip on her lungs and she breathed a bit easier when she repeated Carrie’s question back to her.

“Did she talk to me about Angie?”

“Yes, I had asked if it was okay if I might hang out with her while Tina’s away and she said she would check with you.”

“Oh, well, she did take Angie to school early this morning but we didn’t really talk.”