“We can have a salad while we wait for the rest to get here.”

I shook my head, still very embarrassed by the ruined meal. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Tell you what, tomorrow night we’ll start with the basics of cooking. I’m telling you right now, know how to cook pasta and you’ll never go hungry again!” We took our glasses of wine into the living room and sat down on the couch. She asked how the rest of my day went. I told her about the paperwork, and heading to the DMV and Social Security office. She wasn’t too surprised I needed that info, and had figured I didn’t have them before now. What impressed me was that the way she said it to me, it wasn’t antagonising or patronising. Everything we had talked about up to this point, all these months of conversations, nothing she said to me ever made me feel worthless, she never acted better than me. I was her equal. This was new to me.

“So how was the rest of your night then?” The shift in conversation threw me a bit, I wasn’t prepared for it. But I also wasn’t surprised, it was only a matter of time before she asked me.

“It was good, thank you. How was yours?”

She laughed, “Well, that wasn’t much of an answer. But if that’s the way its going to be, mine was good too.”

I chuckled, “Nah, its just that… I don’t know. I had a good time, nothing much more to tell.”

Bette sipped her wine, “Hey, if you don’t want to kiss and tell, that’s fine. I respect that. Are you going to see her again?”

I shook my head, “Not planning on it. I may run into her again, but otherwise…”

Bette sat deeper into the couch, “Let me guess, not relationship material?”

I shook my head, “I don’t really do relationships.”

“What is that supposed to mean? You don’t do relationships?”

“Just that. I like a good time, but that’s all.” I looked down, wondering if I should go on. I felt so comfortable around Bette, and she hadn’t done anything to betray my trust so far. “Besides, its not like anyone would want a relationship with me. I’d have no clue how to have one.”