Miss me when we break up

Kiss me when we make up,

yeah I know it’s not the same but,

Don’t wanna say we gave up

Please don’t give the game up, no…∫”

Jenna blew a breath out as she fought to regain control of herself, whispering, trying to make light of the emotions that overcame her, “This is going to hurt like hell later when we quote unquote break up.”

Bette smiled ruefully, and responded in light joking tones, “Well I hope you’ll go easy on me when you tell me you’ve met someone else …”

“∫…So when the right words won’t come out

As the city lights pass us by

Let the silence be the only sound

And I’ll hear everything I need to hear,

We’ve been through it all

And if you don’t know what to say I promise

I won’t make you feel bad, nooo, nooo

We’ll just roll the windows down

Drive around this town and be…∫”   

“Let’s head back to the table,” Jenna whispered as the song ended.  “I need a drink.”

Bette smiled, and answered, “Of course.”

As they headed back, the slowly rotating spotlight overhead picked up the retreating figure of a blonde woman weaving through the crowd, in a silvery, sheath-style sleeveless dress filled with shiny sequins.  The woman turned to look, hazel eyes enclosed by horn-rimmed glasses meeting Bette’s from across the room.  The woman smiled and winked, and then turned to walk slowly through the crowd.

Tina.

Bette caught her breath, and urged Jenna to walk more quickly back towards their cocktail table.  Although she’d only caught a glimpse of the back of the woman, and the woman’s hair had been a short silver-blonde bob – the eyes, that smile, that wink, that walk.  She was sure the woman had been Tina.  Heading towards the rest rooms.

“Tina’s here” she whispered to Jenna, by way of explanation, as Jenna looked at her with questioning eyes.

She whispered to Diane, pretending to hold her head, as if nursing a headache, “Tina’s here.  And I’m going to figure out a way to get out of here.  I’ve got my sat phone.  May call for Brom’s car to pick us up in the back of that pub a couple of blocks from here?  Then we can re-group tomorrow morning with Brom, ok?”