***CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR***

It’s 9:00PM. TJ and Tina are ready to go into the first club on their list called ‘Milk’.  Tina pulls sunglasses out of her pocket and puts them on.  TJ looks at Tina and smiles and says  “Tina why are you wearing sunglasses at night?  Are you afraid your adoring public might recognize you?”  Tina replies,  “I thought it would go nicely with the baseball cap.  It kind of makes me look mysterious!”  TJ blurts out, “Tina you look like a crazy person!”  Tina ignores him and walks into the club.

TJ heads to the bar.  He’s sees the only other guy in the club, the bartender Dean and sits at the bar and orders a beer.  Tina meanwhile heads to the ladies room, she wants to check herself in the mirror.  She wants to checkout the whole package.  The ladies room is empty.  Tina looks at herself in the full-length mirror and says  “I think I look hot!  The sunglasses stay on.  Men they’re such morons sometimes!”

Tina is about to leave when a couple of ladies come in.  Tina takes her cap off and starts to play with her hair.  She’s trying to make the spikes stand straight up.  The ladies acknowledge Tina with a nod of the head.  Tina listens in on their conversation she knows the woman they’re gossiping about.

Tina waits a few minutes then asks one of the girls a question.  “Excuse me but I’m new here and I was wondering if you’ve ever heard of this person?”  The lady in red answers, “Why is there a problem?”  Tina quickly responds to the lady,  “No.  It’s just that she asked my out and I was just wondering if she’s cool,  you know someone I should go out with that’s all.”  The ladies answer in unison.  “What’s her name?”  Tina looks at a piece of paper, “Her name is Bette and her last name is  … Porter.”  The lady in red starts to giggle as she answers, “Honey, I think you’re in waaaay over your head with that woman.  You look like a sweet kid.  Listen Bette is a player if you just want quickie sex she’s your gal.”  Tina pretends she doesn’t understand.  The lady in red continues,  “For instance, four days ago Bette came in at lunchtime.  She picked up Deb. (She’s the gal in the bright green sweater whose sitting at the bar right now.).  Then she took Deb in here and had sex with her.  When Bette was finished she zipped up her slacks and left and never said a word to Deb, now that’s pretty cold!  Also kid, you should stay away from her because she’s living with her girlfriend.” (Tina looks shocked)  “The sad thing is her girlfriend Tina is really nice, and the poor thing has no idea that Bette is f*cking women during the day behind her back.” (Tina just had the wind knocked out of her!) The lady continues.  “Hey I didn’t mean to scare you.  I’m just giving you a head’s up because you look like a nice and decent person that’s something I can’t say about Bette.  She did it three times last week with three different women.”  Tina holds on to the sink to steady herself. When she regains her composure Tina thanks the lady for be honest with her.  Tina takes a deep breath and leaves the restroom in a daze.  Outside the bathroom door she hears the ladies burst out laughing.  She hears one lady say, “Peg you just scared the sh*t out of that kid.”