“That was your best answer so far.”

“Does that mean I getting closer to the prize?” asked Bette, recognising that Tina was trying to get some respite from the intensity of their conversation.

“I don’t recall saying there was a prize.”

“There is only one prize worth winning anyway, and I don’t expect to get that today.” replied Bette returning the conversation back to serious matters.

“Bette, I need to know if I can ever trust you again.”

“As easy as it would be for me to say yes to that and spend every day trying to show you that you can. I don’t think that’s really my question to answer. We can find out together but only you will ever know the real answer to that. I’m sorry if that seems like I’m trying to dodge the question but I’m trying to be honest with you, not tell you what I think you want to hear.”

“I know Bette, and I appreciate that. I have to ask this. Do you think that you can trust yourself again?”

“That’s a better question and one that I will do my best to answer. I think that sometimes the expectations I have of myself are just too.you know if something goes right at the gallery then I just move on to the next project but if something goes wrong then I can beat myself up about it for days afterwards, long after everyone else has forgotten about it and I guess that I’ve taken that attitude into every part of my life. What I’m trying to say is that as low as your opinion of me must have been recently, believe me I just thought that I was irredeemable, lower than the gutter”

“I never thought that you wereI always thought that there was a chance.” interrupted Tina.

“T, please let me finish. As we’ve already established trust is something a person has to earn, no one is entitled to it so every time we talk I feel like I trust myself a little bit more. To say and do the right things but most importantly to make a promise and a commitment to you that will be unbreakable. I’ll never let my head get turned again.”

“You know it’s beautiful here. I’m sitting in a park by the hotel, the sun’s shining and I actually feel good. Better than I have done in a long time, better than I ever thought I would do again.”

“That’s good T. I’m glad.” replied Bette, confused by this change in direction.

“How’s LA and the girls?”

“LA continues to be the same place as it was when you left. As for the girls, let me think, Carmen is still defying all known logic by continuing to enrapture Shane. I actually think that there may be love in the air. Alice and Dana areit’s hard to describe really. I think you should talk to Alice to get the low down on that situation. Jenny is as weird as ever, but I’ve decided there’s actually something strangely comforting about that and Kit is doing well, The Planet’s still a success and I’m really proud of her. They all miss you and can’t wait for you to come back.”

“It’s only three of weeks now. I can’t believe it’s gone so quick. There’s still so much left that I have to do on this project. The people that I’m working with seem happy with how we’re progressing though so there might be an outside chance that I may be back sooner than I expected.”

“I miss you Tina. It’s like having my right arm ripped off, you not being here.” Bette blurted out.

“Don’t you think that’s a tiny bit over dramatic.”

“No. Tell me you miss me” persisted Bette.

“You know I miss you, that was never in doubt. I should go really”

“What? Already?”

“Oh wait. I do have one last question. How soon can you be here?”