CHAPTER 96

Bette let herself into her apartment and after hanging up her winter coat, scarf and gloves she went in search of her family. The sitting room was empty apart from Sheba sleeping on Bette’s favorite chair. Sheba briefly opened one eye to look at Bette before the weight of her tiredness over took her and she went back to sleep. Bette smiled – hard life that cat had and she was the one who had rescued her from the shelter – a fact that Sheba never took into account when she was looking for someone’s toes to bite in the middle of the night. Bette put her briefcase down and went into the kitchen – Tina was stirring something in a crock pot that smelt heavily
“Hey there”
Tina looked at Bette and grinned “Nicely timed”
“Smells like it – what is it?”
“Steak with whole baby mushrooms and red onions and carrots “
“Smells divine “
“I am pleased with it “
“Do I have to go and round Angie up?”
“No”
“Has she eaten?”
Tina rubbed her hands on the tea towel that she had been keeping on her shoulder. She walked towards Bette and took her hands
“We have the place to ourselves “
Bette raised an eyebrow
“Where is she?”
“Shane’s. I had lunch with Shane and she said she was missing all of us and would we trust her to have Angie for the night. I asked Angie and she went crazy so we went over there and she insisted on staying”
“On a school night?”
“She will be fine – we came back here and got her stuff. Shane will drop her gear off at the gallery in the morning. She doesn’t have any homework so I thought it would be okay”
“I don’t get a say in this?” Bette asked.
Tina looked surprised “I thought you wouldn’t mind – you have said it yourself that she’s old enough to have the odd sleep over with people we trust”
“All the same “
“Are you saying that you don’t trust Shane with Angie ?”
“No – that’s not what I am saying – but you could have just called me and asked if I thought it was okay”
“Well do you?”
“Why ask me when you have made the decision yourself?” Bette asked and dropped Tina’s hands and walked out of the kitchen. Tina frowned – well that had not been the celebration of good news that she had hoped it would be. Tina turned the crock pot down on the stove and went out to the sitting room to clear things up with Bette. Bette was going through her mail feeding unopened junk mail through the shredder on her desk. Tina watched her for a few minutes – finally Bette sensed her presence and looked across at her
“It’s just I would like to have been asked – we are a team – two mommies “
“It’s impossible to consult one another on every little detail of Angie’s life. Bette – you would have agreed to this if I has asked “
“Well we won’t know will we? I just don’t like the idea on a school night”
“Shane’s not going to have her up until dawn drinking tequila shots and playing poker “Tina replied “It’s more likely to be hot chocolate and snap “
Bette’s face managed a smile “I guess not “she rubbed her face “Sorry – I”
“You don’t ever have to say sorry for loving Angie and wanting the best for her”
Bette exhaled “I know I am the over anxious mommy sometimes”
“You took that role away from me – I have told you loads of times what I was like – I couldn’t let her out of my sight. I was her only mommy and I had to 100% sure of her safety at all times. On reflection I really don’t know how I would have coped as a single mom when she started school”
“You did a great job with her” Bette said
“How about a kiss?”
“Sounds a genius plan “Bette walked over to Tina and was about to take hold of her when Bette’s mobile sounded. “Hang on a minute”
Bette hurried to her bag and retrieved her phone “Hello – James – what? Say that again? “Bette’s face broke into a smile “That would be 8000 dollars? – American dollars? – I don’t know – you are 100% that was what he said? – Okay – prepare the transfer – and get him to ring me – I will log on and we can get this done before we all go to bed tonight and that’s a very happy Christmas for everyone”
Bette hung up the call and immediately started to dance around the sofa – flinging her arms into the arm and leaping around as if she was listening to a rock classic in her head. Picking Sheba up her kissed the cat and swung around a few times with her. If Tina was amazed at Bette’s mood it was nothing compared to Sheba’s reaction. Finally Bette put Sheba down who immediately fled before she was shaken up again. Bette reached Tina and taking her hand she started to dance with her.
“What the hell has got into you Bette ?”
Bette stopped and grinned “Tell you in a minute “she went over to her desk and logged on her computer. Tina crossed her arms and waited
“So Porter?”
“James was in Chicago last week for the gallery and he took in some antique shops and the like – standard practice for both of us. He found one piece and reported back – we have been digging into its providence ever since and – well he’s 100% sure that it’s genuine and I am 95% sure”
“Right “
“We have been offered it for $8000”
Tina raised an eyebrow – she knew Bette’s antique business dealt in bigger sums than that but was she saying that she was going to take a gamble of $8000 on something?
“What’s it worth?” Tina quizzed
“Something is only worth what someone will pay for it “Bette said in her best business voice.
Tina was about to tell her that if she had a dollar for every time Bette had said that to her during their relationship she would have more than $8000 but the phone rang and Bette picked it up
“Mr. West – hello – Bette Porter speaking – how’s my home town city today?”
And that was it – Bette in full business mode. Tina stood and listened for a while – Bette was in full charm offence mode – and there were few people with the sheer will power to be immune to the full powers of the Porter charm. Whatever she was selling or offering was as good as a done deal. Tina wandered into the kitchen and checked on dinner – it would be another ten minutes. Time for the next phase of Tina’s own charm offensive. She headed to their bedroom for a quick shower and change of clothes. Half an hour later she emerged wearing jeans and a thin cotton white shirt complete with high black boots – they were totally irrelevant in the house but they weren’t there to be any use – they just had to look good and they did.
Tina had expected Bette to be off the phone and ready for dinner and the VERY special dessert she had prepared but Bette was still on the phone – she was looking at her desktop computer and not looking anywhere in the room but at the screen. Tina sighed – this was not going according to plan. Still – there was time to get everything back to the way she had planned it. She went and checked on dinner – well it was ready. She went back into the sitting room – Bette hadn’t changed position- still on the phone and still talking deeply. Tina went across to Bette’s desk and stood and looked at her.
Bette smiled and shrugged as if she couldn’t help this phone call.
Tina gestured to her watch – Bette shrugged again. Tina sighed and walked away – this was not how she had planned this evening when she had asked Shane a couple of days ago if she would mind taking care of Angie for the night. Shane adored Angie and it was a two way fan club – – that was always going to be the easy part of the plan. Tina went and sat down and waited – how long would it take? And why could Bette not do this deal at work? Working from home was something that Bette was doing more and more these days but that was so she could spend most of her time amusing Angie or playing with Sheba or with Tina. Trust tonight of all nights for Bette and her job to suddenly fuck up Tina’s plans. After another 20 minutes Tina went and added more water to dinner – the steak was not going to be as delicious as she had wanted it to be and her carefully arranged plans were being ruined. She went back to Bette and slapped her watch irritate. Bette shrugged – seeing a notebook on Bette’s desk she picked it up and grabbed a pen
HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO BE?
She dropped the notebook in front of Bette. Bette read the note and frowned – what the hell had got into Tina?
I CANNOT RUSH THIS – THIS IS BIG
Tina wasn’t appeased by the reply
BIGGER THAN A ROMANTIC NIGHT WITH YOUR WIFE TO BE? She replied and instead of wait for a reply she dropped the notebook loudly on the desk and walked away back into the kitchen.
She could have screamed – all the bloody planning and tonight was going to be fucking well ruined. She switched the crook pot off and looked around for something to do to calm herself down. After a few minutes opening and slamming shut cupboard doors she settled on sitting at the breakfast bar which they rarely used drinking a bottle of beer and eating potato chips. Two beers later Tina went back to check on Bette – she was off the phone but was typing away at her computer.
“Bette “
“Hang on “Bette said
“Don’t tell me to hang on — I have been hanging on for a fucking hour”
Bette turned “What’s up?”
“WHAT!! “Tina raised her voice
“Tina – please – give me a few minutes “
“Do I have a fucking choice?”
Bette shook her head and pick up her phone again “James – that’s showing that it’s gone through… Yes- no – this is what I want you to do – it’s your piece – get a ticket on the first flight tomorrow to Chicago and pick it up. No – no – I have been talking to him for an hour and he thinks he’s such a fucking smart ass – yes – get it and fly back. On Friday we do the second part of the deal and its Christmas bonus time for our partners and our kids – yes – just in time for the wedding. Okay – get yourself back to the family – I better do the same – yes – well done James – good night”
Bette ended the call and stood up and taking the spare phone charger she plugged it in and turned and looked at the blonde
“I am sorry about that Tina but you know that I wouldn’t do it unless I totally had to – it was a really big deal “
“Screw fucking big deals “Tina shouted
Bette recoiled in shock – she knew that Tina wasn’t happy – that had been blindly obvious to her but this reaction had really taken her by surprise. Bette smiled nervously
“Look I said I am sorry and I will make it up to you – let me explain about this deal that James and I have been working on”
“I don’t want to know “Tina replied “I want you to know that dinner is ruined”
Bette thought that she had been yelled at for every known reason under the sun – mainly during their first stab at being married but the ruined dinner was a novel one for them.
“Ruined – I am sure it’s not “
“It is – its fucking ruined and so is the whole night”
“It’s only half eight “Bette said with calm reason
“You don’t understand”
“Well enlighten me “Bette said frowning – she understood that Tina was disappointed but she didn’t understand why she was getting this level of venom thrown at her. Tina was blazing with anger and Bette could see that.
“Why bother “Tina snapped back
“Well let me illuminate you that I just bought a painting for $8000 “
“Gee whiz “Tina replied sarcastically “Can you eat this painting?”
Bette took three deep breaths – it would make their entire night utterly irreparable if she lost her temper now but equally she wasn’t going to take this amount of abuse from Tina for something that she didn’t consider to be as big as Tina clearly saw it.
“No – true – you cannot eat the painting but what the buyer thinks he is selling is a reproduction – a good one and reasonably contemporary to when the original was painted in the mid-18th century”
“I still don’t get it “
“It’s not a fake “Bette said calmly “it’s the real thing”
Tina tried to take in what Bette was telling her
“If it’s the real thing and he doesn’t know it – surely it’s stolen?” Tina replied
Bette grinned “It is – and I know what the reward is and I am going to claim it and everyone’s going to live happily ever after – especially with the Christmas bonus we are going to get “ Bette slapped her thighs “Let’s go see if we can retrieve dinner”
She walked up to Tina who was still flushed with anger
“I am really sorry about dinner Tina but every time I do anything like this – it’s because I want to provide for my family and make sure that you and Angie have the best of everything. I am not doing this for me or my own ego any more – I am doing it to be the best mom to Angie and the best wife you could have – it’s all for the two of you I swear. A large percentage of this is going into her college fund – Harvard is expensive you know “
Bette kissed the end of Tina’s nose and went into the kitchen leaving Tina standing alone in the kitchen – that had taken the wind out of her sails and left her feeling that she totally didn’t deserve this sweet and kind woman. She stood trying to compose herself but there was no excuse for her losing her temper at Bette – all she could do was to explain herself to the brunette.