“When do you plan on leaving our little family?” Bert interrupted knowingly.

“How’d you know?”

“Do you have any concept of how long your new contract has remained unsigned?  You only have a month or so left on the current one.  I kind of assumed you wouldn’t sign on for another year.”

“Why?”

“Your ambition.  Your drive.  Let me guess.  New York has seduced you away?”

“No, I’m staying right here in LA.”

“Where?”

“I’m re-opening my gallery.  I decided to go back to what I really love.”

“Well, that’s great, Bette.  We’re going to miss you.  How much notice do you plan to give, if I may ask?”

“I won’t leave the CAC in a lurch.  A few months should give the Board time to put out feelers, short-list some people, get them in for interviews.  Fall, maybe.”

“Ah, that’s smart.  Get your gallery up and running just in time for the holidays, make a bundle right out of the gate.”

“From your lips to God’s ears.” Bette smiled.

“So, when are you going to be telling Franklin and the gang?”

“James is arranging a meeting now.”

“Franklin’ll burst a gasket.  That man always wants what he can’t have and then takes what he does have for granted.  No pleasing him.”

“I think he’ll be thrilled to see me go.”

“You’d be surprised, Bette. Really.”

______

Several times during the day Bette’s hand hovered over the phone.  She wanted to talk to Tina, to try to put things on track between them, but Tina was right.  If she wouldn’t believe her, then what was the point?  The fact that Bette was lying was insignificant.  Fact or fiction, Tina didn’t care.  Her pride wouldn’t let her make that call.

It wasn’t only Tina that she wanted to speak with.  She wanted to talk to Suzanne, too, but it wasn’t pride that stopped her, but a sense of self.  Bette had heard about people who loved psychotherapy.  They lived for it.  They wouldn’t make any life changing decisions without having at least one session devoted to it.  These people wanted their therapists to be their life consultants who told them what to wear, what to eat, whom to associate with, and how to live.  Bette wanted to call Suzanne to get advice, but she wasn’t looking for a surrogate mother or best friend or lover.  She knew what she wanted in life and how to get it.  Bette had been raised to evaluate what life put in front of her, weigh her choices, and be steadfast in the final decision.  This marital crisis was not going to raze her foundation.  Her life, in spite of Tina’s absence, had to continue and she had to keep up as she always had.  A weaker woman would have called Suzanne and told her about the night at the Palms and how that evening ended; would have told her about the first meaningful conversation she and Tina had on the phone; maybe would have mentioned thoughts of re-opening her gallery and leaving her present job.  A lesser woman would have pleaded for an earlier appointment to discuss how things were progressing with the partner she had separated from, but that wasn’t Bette.  A desperate woman would have called in crisis, kept Suzanne on the phone, cried endlessly about the latest kink in her future plans.  Bette was determined.  She would wait until Thursday and arrive at Suzanne’s with decisions made and feeling strong.