Tina: I’ll see you tonight, then okay?

Bette: Okay.

Bette leaves smiling a little. She took it as good sign. When she gets to her office James was already there. Having lived with Bette Porter since the breakup James was used to her erratic behavior and short temper but this morning she actually seemed to be in a good mood. Unfortunately having Tina come ‘home’ wasn’t enough to sustain her high spirits when she received some forewarning of an outcome that could jeopardize her position at the CAC.

***

As promised Bette came home early knowing Tina wanted to talk to her. She walked into the house and finds Tina sitting at the dining room table writing in a notebook and already having dinner. It was such a familiar sight that for a moment Bette forgot that they were no longer a couple and had to fight the impulse to kiss Tina hello. They looked at each other awkwardly as the same thought crossed Tina’s mind. Bette hadn’t expected Tina to fix her dinner nor was it Tina’s intention but out of habit she’d prepared enough for two.

Bette: Hey.

Tina: I made too much. Do you want me to fix you a plate?

Bette: No, stay. I’ll go get it.

Bette starts to head for the kitchen, but stops. She smiles at Tina nervously.

Bette: You look really great. You’re kind of… glowing.

Tina: Thanks.

Tina’s response comes off as perfunctory. There is still so much tension between them. They are both wound up tight. Bette sighs as she walks into the kitchen to fix herself a plate. When she comes back into the dining room Tina works up the courage to tell Bette what she wanted to talk about.

Tina: Bette, I wanted to um to tell you that –

Bette: God, I had the worst fucking day today. Thanks to Peggy Peabody’s cunt daughter our grant is now in jeopardy and Franklin’s completely flipping out. I can’t imagine how fucked I’m going to be if they pull it.

Bette didn’t even acknowledge that Tina was speaking before she starts ranting about her day. Another habitual thing from their years together was Tina taking a back seat to Bette’s more dominant personality. It had always irked Tina that Bette thought her things were more important than anyone else’s. It was really hard being in a relationship with Bette when her work, her needs, her ideas were always right, always on a higher plane. She always appeared more enlightened, more informed, more intuitive. Not that this was reality but it was the type of behavior that caused Tina to slowly lose herself in the relationship. It was times like this when Tina wished she had the courage to speak up but instead she sipped her water looked down and switched gears. Her own important news put aside.