Candace laughed.  “Sometimes, I like to dance, meet people, hang out.  You know regular stuff.  I don’t spend all of my time hammering nails, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” Bette said, then blushed considering the innuendo.

Candace shrugged it off and leaned in to talk to Bette since the volume of the music increased as a Britney Spears’ dance tune filled the club.  “You look a lot better than you did last time I saw you.  Are you and Tina back together?”  Candace asked without a trace of the eagerness she felt, desperate to know the answer.

“No, not yet.  Well, if ever.”

“So you’re out on your own this evening?”

“No, I’m with my sister, Kit and her lover?”

“Kit’s *****?”

“Sort of, for the time being, not really.”

Bette’s heartbeat had quickened and she felt beads of perspiration popping up on her forehead.  Every time Candace leaned in, she smelled the woman’s natural scent mixed with the delicate woodsy fragrance she used.  Bette bit her lip and thought about what she was learning with Suzanne.

“So?”

Bette turned to face her.  “So, what?”

“I’m here by myself.  Do you want to dance?”

“No.”

“Okay.  Do you mind if I sit with you?”

“Candace really, I don’t want to go there with you.”

“Go where?”

“Wherever you want to take me.  Not this time.  I can’t do it this time,” Bette whispered in spite of the music that was well over the legal decibel level.  Her whispered tone only made Candace move closer, lean in a bit more, and her thigh press against Bette’s.

“The only place I was suggesting we go is onto the dance floor.  You don’t want to do that, cool.”  She sat back.  “How’s the CAC?  Anything new coming up?”

“Not right now,” Bette said firmly.

“Thanks to you I got a great gig at LACMA.  I’m working on an enormous installation for them.  They’ve decided to re-do the South and Southeast Asian permanent collection.  They really liked the shoji screens we used in ‘Provocations, but hey, that’s been done.  I have some new ideas for them.”

“Congratulations, LACMA is quite a step up from the CAC,” Bette said tightly.