Bette met Helena’s grin with an amused laugh.

From there, the evening went completely downhill. An incredibly drunk Kelly made a pass at Helena while Bette tried to both laugh it off and actually keep Kelly from crossing lines. Helena felt sandwiched by the two women who obviously had some sort of history between them that she just couldn’t remember, except that Kit had said something about Bette going into a depression years ago over Kelly refusing her advances.

“You are gorgeous.” Kelly kept telling Helena. “I mean just stunning. I bet you’ve been with tonnes of women…”

“Wow. Hey. Thanks, I think. Not tonnes…” Helena muttered the last part, then turned to Bette to try to make some verbal indication of exiting the party or perhaps just shoving Kelly into a cab, but Bette beat her to the punch.

As Bette led Kelly away, Helena could overhear Kelly saying that she wanted her first time with a woman to be with Helena since Bette was being a spoilsport.  Helena assumed, hearing this piece of information, that Bette would actually give in. After all, Tina wasn’t coming back anytime soon.

Strangely, there was a jolt of jealousy attached to the thought. Helena shrugged it off. She was probably just being protective of her friends…

She was beyond surprised when her attempt at flagging a taxi was interrupted by Bette.

“Nightcap?” Bette asked, looking utterly fatigued. She and Kelly had left their new curator in charge for the remainder of the event.

“Sure,” Helena shrugged. She looked out the car window and wondered when the numbness might break.

“How’s work?” Bette’s voice was tentative in the darkness of the back of their cab.

Helena took a shaky breath and turned, plastering on a faint smile. “Work is fine. Kit could run both clubs without me, so my job is fairly easy.” Her hands laced together loosely in her lap. “Tomorrow night is our annual dance-off. You should come.”

It took a moment, but Bette’s glare evoked genuine, unapologetic laughter in Helena.

“We’ll see you there.” Helena smiled and patted Bette on the arm. Something lifted from Helena’s shoulders in the moment. She felt suddenly and strangely optimistic.