Tina was just finishing putting on her earrings, when Dani walked into the bedroom. “Wow Mom, you look beautiful!”

Tina smiled. “Thanks Honey. Could you please hand me that necklace…the one right by your hand.” Dani handed her the silver chain with the beautiful antique locket hanging from it. This was the same necklace that Dani had seen in Tina’s jewelry box for as long as she could remember. However, she didn’t remember her Mom ever actually wearing the necklace anywhere, so with the curiosity of a teenager, she asked.

“It’s a beautiful locket. How come you’re wearing it tonight? I’ve never seen you wear it before.”

Tina fingered the locket and then ran her hand down her daughters cheek, smiling at her. “Well, I just thought that since I am going out for a nice dinner in New York City, I might as well dress up. Besides,” Tina chuckled, “I know how Bette is. She will be dressed to the nines, and I don’t want to look like the country bumpkin.”

Dani giggled at that and hugged her mother. “Mom, there is no way that anyone would think that you are a country bump…whatever. You look fabulous.” Dani hesitated. She had wanted to ask her Mom more questions about Bette Porter, but had been too shy. She decided that maybe now was a good time. “Mom…can I ask you a question?”

“Sure honey, anything.”

“Well, how long have you known Bette? I mean…when did you guys meet?”

Tina sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to decide how much to tell her daughter about her past in California. “Well, Bette and I met about 22 years ago. I was living and working in LA. The man I was dating at the time, knew the owner of an art gallery who was having a show one night, so we went…and it happened to be Bette’s gallery.” Tina fingered the locket again. “Bette and I became…close.” Tina stood up and walked over to the mirror for one last look at her reflection. “Unfortunately, we lost touch after I moved to Seattle to marry your father.”

“Why does she call you T? Is that some kind of nickname?”

Tina smiled at the memory of Bette, as well as her other friends from long ago, calling her that. “Yes, it was a nickname that Bette gave me, and when our other friends heard her use it, they all started to as well.”

“How come no one calls you that now?”

Tina took in a deep breath, not really wanting to answer anymore questions like this…at least not when it was her daughter asking them. “Oh, I don’t know honey, maybe it was just a California thing.”

Dani looked at her mother somewhat shyly. “I like it Mom. I like it when she calls you that.” Before Tina could respond,
Dani decided to plow forward with one more question…well more of an observation really. “Hey Mom, don’t you think it’s weird that Bette’s gallery is named Kennter and your last name is Kennard? That’s kind of spooky if you ask me. Why do you think she named it that?”

Tina had inhaled sharply when Dani said Kennter. She stood there looking in the mirror, not knowing how to answer Dani’s question, but knowing she had to make some comment. Just as she was opening her mouth, they heard a loud horn blasting from outside.

“Oh honey, that’s my cab. I’ve got to go. How bout we talk about this later, Ok?” Tina breathed a sigh of relief. God, talk about being saved by the bell/horn, whatever! She just wasn’t ready to talk to her thirteen year old daughter about her seven year ***** relationship with the love of her life, and the loss of their child! Somehow, the words that it would take to form the sentences that would create that conversation, were no where in her brain at that moment, and Tina didn’t know if they ever would be!


~ ~ ~


Tina’s cab pulled up outside the restaurant at 6:55. She prayed that Bette was already there, so she wouldn’t have to wait by herself. She stepped out of the cab and looked at the front of the restaurant. One side was what looked to be brick stones from the original construction. In the middle was a huge antique door, that had obviously been tantalizing passersby with intoxicating aromas coming from within, with each swing of it’s hinges. To the left of the door was one huge window, however the way the restaurant was designed, when you looked in from the street, you could only see one table. Tina let out a soft gasp, as she saw that Bette was sitting at that table. She looked absolutely stunning, just as Tina had known she would. Bette was talking to a man who was standing next to the table, sharing a laugh. Tina took the opportunity to stand there for a moment and drink in the beauty of this incredible creature…who she had walked away from 15 years earlier.

At that moment, Bette turned to look out the window, a smile still lingering on her face. It was her turn to gasp as she breathed in the sight of Tina standing outside smiling at her. Oh my God, she looks incredible! Tina had turned to come into the restaurant, so Bette stood up, whispering something in the man’s ear with whom she had been speaking.

He approached Tina as she came in the door. “Ah, good evening Ms. Kennard. My name is Antonio Camozzi. You are meeting Ms. Porter, yes?”

“Yes..”

“Good, come this way.” As they approached the table, Tina noticed that other diners were watching her, as well as glancing over at Bette. Well…she thought, even after 15 years, we still make a striking pair. For a moment Tina thought of her three beautiful children and the physical traits they carried from both her and Dan, and wondered what a child that had come from her and Bette’s genes would have looked like. Heavenly….

“Tina…” Bette said her name so softly, Tina almost didn’t hear it. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Hi Bette.” Tina walked right into the hug that was waiting for her in Bette’s arms…a hug that felt so much like home.

After a long moment, Bette let go of Tina, smiled and held out her arm in the direction of Tina’s chair. “Please.”

As Antonio pulled out Tina’s chair for her, Tina looked up at him and smiled. “How did we get so lucky to be seated at this table?”

Antonio looked over at Bette and winked. “Well, Ms. Kennard, I always seat Ms. Porter at this table when she honors us by dinning here.”

Tina could see a slight blush rising on Bette’s cheeks. “Always? And why would that be?”

“Because it’s good business. You see Ms. Porter not only has an incredibly rare beauty, but she also exudes style and class like no woman I have ever met.”

“Oh Antonio.” Bette continued to blush and looked down at her plate.

“So you see, I know that when I seat Ms. Porter at this window table, people who are passing by will see her, and will think, if this restaurant is good enough for a woman like her to eat in, then they want to eat here too! See, it’s good business. Antonio then winked at Tina. “And now with you here Ms. Kennard, between the two of you, I predict a very busy night tonight!”

Tina and Bette couldn’t help but laugh, and both thanked Antonio as he left to greet his other customers.

Tina gazed at Bette and couldn’t help herself. “He’s right you know. You are incredibly beautiful.”

Bette reached across the table and covered Tina’s hand with her own. “As are you Tina. You are as beautiful today as you were the day we met.”

Tina gave a little laugh, but couldn’t help but glow from the compliment.” Well, I’m not so sure about that. I have a few wrinkles who might argue with you, but thank you. God Bette, it’s so good to see you. You look wonderful…you look happy. Please tell me how you have been, and how you got to the place you are today.”

“OK…” Bette took a deep breath, but before she could start, their waiter came up to them with an opened bottle of wine. “I hope you don’t mind Tina, but I ordered the wine for us. Your tastes haven’t changed have they?”

Tina tasted the wine that had been poured into her glass. “No Bette, this is perfect.”

Bette looked at Tina with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “So, I take it you never asked Alice what I was doing?’

Tina looked at the table, suddenly a little embarrassed. “No, I couldn’t Bette. I felt that when I made the decision to leave, that I couldn’t look back. It hurt too much. And then after I got married and got pregnant, I felt like it was better left in the past, you know? By the time the pain had totally gone away, it was years later, and by then, I felt I didn’t have the right to know, so I left it.” Tina looked at Bette, her eyes questioning. “You must not have asked either, otherwise you would have known that I have children.”

Bette took another big, long, deep breath. “T, when you decided that you couldn’t stay with me, I was devastated. I wanted to be with you more than anything. When I allow myself a trip down memory lane, I still kick myself every once in a while, for ruining everything for us. For what, a short fling? You know I never saw Candace again after the opening night of Provocation’s. I wonder sometimes how her life turned out. I think she was the least affected by my betrayal of all of us.”

“Bette, please stop. It’s been 15 years. I am enjoying a good life, and for the most part have been happy. I don’t think we need to use words like betrayal after all this time. Ok?”

“Thank you for that Tina.” Bette covered Tina”s hand again. “Thank you….” Bette looked down for a moment. “Anyway, I didn’t know what to do. You left and I was lost. Finally, I decided that if I couldn’t be with you, I didn’t want to be in LA any more. I had received several job offers, as you know, right after Provocation’s, so I decided to accept one here in NY. I felt like I needed to start my life brand new…new city…new me. In order to do that though, I didn’t want…no couldn’t have, any reminders of the old me. I was determined not to be the same Bette Porter that had broken both our hearts…and I think that over the years, I have been able to do that. I have been blessed with Milaine in my life, and for almost 11 years I ha…”

“Leslie. She’s beautiful Bette. You two look very happy.”

“What? No Tina. Leslie’s not my partner.”

Tina’s heart stopped. “She’s not?”

Bette looked down at the table, again and then in a soft, but sad voice…”No, Leslie is Milaine’s aunt. She’s Nica’s sister.”

“Nica?”

“Nica, my partner of almost 11 years…”

“Ladies, are you ready to order?”