“Bette. I think I should be going. Thank you so much for having me over. This was wonderful.”

“Thanks for coming. I really enjoyed your company. We haven’t spent much time alone together since we met. As a matter of fact you still owe me a movie studio tour.”

“That’s right. I do. We’ll have to remedy that when we get back to Los Angeles. Just tell me when you want to come by.”

“We can do it after Val’s show. Once I get back I’ll be in a zone where I won’t let myself get distracted with anything but the exhibit.”

“I know what you mean. I get like that also when I’m focused on a project or I have a tight deadline.”

“In that case we better do it before you get too wrapped up with the acquisition.”

Bette and Tina had both left their cell phones in the loft, so they had to go back inside to call David the driver to let him know she was ready for a pick-up. He is only 5 minutes away so Tina gathered her things while Bette put the wine glasses in the sink. Between them they had finished the bottle of wine so she put it in the recycle bin.

Bette rode with Tina on the elevator down to the lobby and were greeted by the doorman. They stepped outside and a few minutes later David pulled up. The doorman opened the car door and stood at a discreet distance to give Bette and Tina privacy to say goodnight. Bette and Tina embrace familiarly and kiss each other on the cheek.

“Good night Tina. I’ll see you tomorrow at lunch time.”

“Good night Bette. Again, thank you for a lovely dinner.”

“My pleasure.”

Bette and Tina smiled at each other. Tina got into the car and Bette closed the door. The brunette headed back upstairs to her loft. She cleaned up the kitchen, started the dishwasher then went into the master bedroom to get ready for bed. She was anxious to see Peggy and her good friends Max and Dylan the following day.

***

Peggy had arrived from London two days prior and she was still adjusting to the time change. She’d decided that the best way to tackle the Helena situation was to get all the key players together in New York so that they could strategize on how they would manage the ongoing projects as well as any future endeavors. Max Sweeney and Dylan Mooreland were two members of her US based executive team that she trusted implicitly. Peggy would always team Helena up with either Max or Dylan on the various projects she’d entrusted to her. Her reasons weren’t so much that she was keeping tabs on Helena but more because Helena being so fickle she never knew when she would need Max or Dylan step in.