APOLOGIZE, she wrote in big letters at the top of the page.

Tina heard a small knock at the door. Sam peeked in smiling. Tina panicked.

“Hey,” Sam whispered coming all the way in to the trailer.

“Is something wrong,” Tina asked.

“Everything is fine. We are on break. Just checking on you and I brought you a cup of coffee.” She lifted the cup up proudly like it was a trophy. Tina smiled despite herself.

“Liz is going to kill me if she finds out I was in here. We are under strict orders to leave you alone but I couldn’t help myself. I had to bribe the PA to let me in,” Sam’s eyes twinkled.

Sam said something else but Tina was thinking about the poor PA who was tasked to babysit her. When she looked up, Sam was looking out the window, checking to make sure no one was around; she winked at Tina like she did that time at the park before escaping through the door. Leaving as quickly as she’d arrived.

Tina blew on her coffee, contemplating how she had let it get to this point. She knew she had to talk to Sam before things got too far out of control.

She took a long sip and sighed.

***

“An Artist Dinner?” Bette raised her eyebrows.

“Yes, I hear they are legendary and I think that would be the perfect prelude to the opening. Don’t you?”

Bette hadn’t done one of those in a very long time. Her mind immediately took her to the first Artist Dinner Tina attended. She was completely enamored with Tina and couldn’t believe she was with Eric. They didn’t fit. Eric was simple and Tina had layers, glorious layers. Bette decided she wanted Tina the very second she laid her eyes on her.

Tina was admiring a painting across the room. Bette always knew where Tina was during the night, keeping tabs. She strolled up next to her and asked if she was going to sit down. Tina said she really liked this painting. Bette smiled, noticing Tina’s earring was caught in her hair.

“You’ve lost your earring in your hair.”

Bette gently removed it. Tina took the earring from Bette’s hand and Bette ever so lightly curled her fingers around Tina’s looking deep into her eyes. Bette thought she heard Tina suck in some air. They both smiled.