“All right.”  She stood up and headed to the counter.  She turned to Shane and said, “Tell her, whoever she is, that you’re busy tonight and tomorrow night, and the rest of the week, and the rest of the…”

“Carmen?”  Shane shook her head.

“Shane.”  Carmen laughed.  “I’m taking care of you,” she said about the coffee and the sex.

* * * * * *

That afternoon, Bette was in the administrator’s office at the Center.  Theresa Kennard’s offer to sit with Angelica last night and Kit’s the night before had given Bette her first opportunity to rest and relax.  Now, she was tense after the whole Roberta Collie/Stephanie mess earlier in the day.  She hadn’t felt like she could take on Collie who held her future in her hands or Stephanie who was Tina’s sister, but she was having no problem revving up for a battle with Agatha Benson, the Center’s administrator.  Despite the negative events earlier, there was some residual sense of being well-rested.  She had taken the extra time on makeup and clothes.  She actually felt better and very well put together, in a pair of Classiques Entier Euro stretch, low rise black pants and a top that was short sleeved, button down with thin grey and pink stripes running through the white background color.  Bette sat on one side of the large desk and on the other was Agatha Benson.  The woman seemed to hate the patients and despise the patients’ families, especially Bette Porter.  She shot Bette a long, disgusted sneer before she opened and began reading through the Kennard file.  Bette gently rocked the stroller where Angelica slept peacefully. 

“I’m afraid that we can’t wait for our payment while you appeal your claim denial.”

“I didn’t expect that you would,” she answered flatly.   Bette had better things to do today than spend it arguing moot points with this bitch. 

“Well, my guesstimate for your monthly charges that aren’t covered is eleven thousand dollars.  When can I expect payment?”

Bette hated the word ‘guesstimate.’  “The Center,” Bette began, emphasizing that she planned on paying the institution and not a check to this homophobe, “will get paid when I get an actual invoice.”