Diane’s heart fell at the sight of deep anxiety evident in the back of her friend’s normally bewitching brown eyes.  She answered quietly, “I think you’ve made a decision to do all you can to keep Tina safe.  Don’t think of it as a mistake.”

“Just hold on for an hour or so more, and then Jenna can see you off in a cab, as you and she had planned … then you can follow that path Brom laid out for you to sneak off to see Tin…”

Eve had walked up next to them, and laid a friendly hand on both Bette’s and Jenna’s shoulders, and then asked, “Hey, you two.  I haven’t seen you girls on the dance floor at all tonight.  And Bette here has been looking less than … um… shall we call it, her usual dazzling self?”

“Happy birthday, Eve,” Bette turned to greet the dark-haired woman, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.  “I’m just feeling under the weather.”

“Well, I think Jenna should stop chatting up all these other women and handsome men, and pay you some attention.  Maybe take you out on the dance floor — surely that’ll make you feel better, right?” Eve asked, giving Jenna a teasing smile.

The DJ began to introduce a song he was about to play.  Eve continued, pretending to be surprised, “Oh, say, Jen, isn’t that one of your favorite songs?”

Jenna shook her head, and gave Eve a half-smile, “Did you ask them to play it?”

“Moi?” Eve retorted.  “I’m just the birthday girl, right?  Not the party organizer?”

“Absurdly romantic song, Bette,” Eve explained.  “Jenna won’t be able to resist slow dancing with you to it.”

Before either Bette or Jenna could react, Eve turned to the man Jenna had been talking to, “C’mon Jay, and dance with me.  Stop making eyes at Jenna here.  Don’t you know she’s taken?”

She winked at Bette and Jenna, and allowed herself to be led to the dance-floor by Jay, who was laughing lightly.

“I’m sorry, Bette,” Jenna said under her breath, as she and Bette walked to the dance floor.

“That’s alright, Jenna,” Bette answered, and gave her a small smile.  “sorry I just can’t get into it tonight.  Missing Tina like crazy.  Not your fault that Eve and others have picked up on it.”