Bette strolled into her office early Tuesday morning, the sight of Barbara’s gift bringing a smile to her face. She sat down at her desk, enjoying the rare moments of peace.

With her computer booted up, Bette began tackling her day’s work. By the time James had given her the 10-minute reminder of her meeting with Phyllis, Bette had cleared a small section of her to-do list.

She grabbed the file on her desk, greeting everyone as she headed toward Phyllis’ office. Her mind had stayed on Tina the whole morning, despite her better efforts.

“She’s expecting you,” the secretary tilted her head toward her boss’ office.

Bette offered her smile in thanks, knocking on the door lightly before venturing in. “Morning, Phyllis.”

“Good morning, Bette. Do you need a drink or shall we begin?”

“Let’s get this baby out of the way,” Bette replied as she handed the other woman a copy of her report.

They went through the report with a fine toothed comb, attacking it with gusto. While Phyllis noted to Bette some areas that needed tweaking, Bette also pointed out to Phyllis the changes that will take place in the upcoming year.

As the hours ticked by, Bette found herself drifting off. She wondered what her former wife was doing, whether she was busy with work.

“Bette?” Phyllis reached over and laid a hand on Bette’s shoulder. “I asked, how was the tour yesterday?”

“It was good,” Bette recovered quickly. “Really helps that she knows her art.”

“Come on, Bette, there’s more to that story. The whole place is buzzing,” the blonde tried to fish for more information. “Surely you know artists are just as much gossipers as little old ladies.”

“Don’t I know,” she rolled her eyes, setting the paperwork aside. “We went to dinner last night. A party the mayor had put together.”

“Am I right to assume the senator is about to be LA’s newest resident?”

Bette nodded.

“Well that’s good, because I just spoke to her before our meeting,” Phyllis broke the news. “I have, on my desk, a contract for a recurring, $200,000 donation for the next five years.”

“That’s great,” Bette smiled. While the art department was not lagging behind in technology or facilities, they always could upgrade their syllabus.