5
It had been two weeks since Tina and Bette had started working together, mostly they had been separated with some initial paperwork to do until the divorce of the prime minister's son arrived.
"We have to be prepared, it will be in all the papers! It will be a privilege for our firm to defend Benjamin Evans!"
Tom Kennard had told both of them and let's say that both of them had set to work to do their best.
The problem was that Benjamin and his father Liam did not have a concept of defense highly connected to that of Bette and Tina and they would understand this later.
That afternoon they would have their first meeting with Benjamin to decide the strategies to follow during the trial.
Bette and Tina would go in a company car, Bette would drive as usual, she hated the driver even though Tom always had him available, but Tina remembered that Bette loved driving and avoided it if she could. In fact she had avoided it.
Tina had been waiting under the garage at the agreed time, it was just ten in the morning, and a small ray of sunshine was coming out of the London clouds. The blonde had worn a long black skirt and a pair of high boots of the same color with a formal shirt, elegant but not brash, as always for their work.
"Good morning..."
She whispered as she got into the car and put her briefcase between her feet, glancing at Bette who was driving with her black Gucci sunglasses.
"Good morning..."
The brunette replied without turning off the engine and, looking in the mirror, pulled into the lane, merging with the morning traffic.
For a few minutes neither of them spoke, Tina occasionally peeking at Bette's hands sliding on the gear lever, the way she drove effortlessly and with determination.
"Have you read the documents?"
Bette's voice finally broke the final.
"Yes, of course..."
"This thing will be everywhere...the papers will talk about it...I hate this fucking stuff.."
Bette swerved a little too sharply
"Did you have chamomile tea this morning?"
Tina thought she was being ironic, but of course Bette didn't answer, she just kept going straight without stopping. In silence for the rest of the trip, they arrived at the building where Benjamin lived with his almost ex-wife, his father the minister, who owned almost the entire building.
Tina and Bette were greeted by a very kind lady who accompanied them to an office on the second floor of the large old-fashioned apartment, all solid wood, with mosaic carpets and high-quality paintings. Tina sat next to Bette with a few sheets of paper scattered on the table, a pen that always ticked like a vice, for a moment Tina felt lost in her memories, in her experience, her divorce. Her father had sent a dear colleague to support her because she had forbidden him to do it in person, she did not want her father to go against Eric, it would have been too painful even for him who had hoped for that marriage.
A failure, by any measure it has been done.
The door swung open and a man walked through the door, tall, slim, with an athletic build, grey hair, he looked a bit like Eric, Tina thought, his polo sweater was impeccable.
Tina and Bette stood up at the same time to shake hands and he showed his bright and captivating smile.
"Thank you for coming, you know I had too much work to do and I couldn't move for a few more days..."
Tina smiled kindly and for a moment there was silence then the blonde began.
"well Benjamin, tell us everything, so we have the picture of the situation... only the truth... we read a few things... but we have to make sure that no surprises come out during the trial. We are your lawyers, you must not lie to us."
Benjamin nodded, leaning his elbows on the desk and rolling up the sleeves of his acid green sweater.
"I don't know what else there is to know... me and Gwen... it's over okay? They'll already be talking about it everywhere, in just a few hours the whole world will know. She... she and that fucking bastard!"
"let's tone it down..."
Bette said flatly and Benjamin looked at her mockingly
"are you kidding? is that what your ethics taught you?"
The tone made Tina jump but not Bette strangely, who remained calm tapping the tip of her pen on her chin lightly. The blonde turned for a second out of the corner of her eye to return to Benjamin
"the name please..."
"Oliver Green...that cheap singer-songwriter, they met...who knows where...I don't care, I don't even want to know."
Tina sighed writing the note, this time turning to Bette who was strangely silent. There was a fleeting exchange of glances that made the brunette understand that it was time to speak or she would seem too strange.
"So..." Bette leaned forward toward the desk, the black pen still in her hand "we're not going to get to a real court... I think we could resolve things here with a good agreement... the only problem is the public that will follow you... you are very influential people, well-known and active on social media, people are already suspicious... and I don't know what you or your wife would do to be visible!"
"those times are over Bette..."
Benjamin's tone was exhaustive enough to make Tina understand that the two of them knew each other, Benjamin had pronounced his name in a very strange way and Bette's behavior was strange. A silence fell for a few seconds until Bette took out some papers and handed them to Benjamin.
"first I have to understand if the times of making you any apparently pretty woman are still your prerogative..."
A paper was thrown and slid under Benjamin's nose while Tina had now stiffened, the two of them knew each other and Bette was pretending otherwise. Benjamin chuckled, hastily moving his hair back then looked Bette straight in the eyes
"it wasn't my fault...I loved Gwen with all my heart, we had a dream wedding and she destroyed everything! I want her to pay!"
"Stop, stop..." Bette continued "we won't go into heavy strategies, you have a prenuptial agreement."
"yes but he is the injured party..." Tina finally intervened "he was the victim of the betrayal..."
Bette looked for a moment, then Tina looked away to return to Benjamin
"we will do our job, but no surprises... no attacks from you in public, she is a woman and remains your woman... no unfair moves... I hope you want this divorce in the most dignified way possible, right?"
"sure, I will be humiliated enough already..."
Tina put the papers back in the yellow folder in front of her, cleaning the table, getting up slightly
"Good...then the news will come out, also because I think I understood that by agreement you had not established many days of silence in case of third parties, right?"
"No...I would never have imagined it, but her driver...she knows...and so many will know soon!"
Bette stood up taking her jacket from the chair
"well we won't pay attention to this nonsense from web influencers... if everything is as it seems and Gwen cheated on you, she will pay... she won't have the biggest slice of your assets... I just want you not to get involved with someone who could put you in a bad light..."
"sure, I understand." Benjamin said standing up and offering his hand to Bette who found herself forced to take it "it was nice to see you again..."
Tina closed her eyes, it was true then, Bette knew Benjamin, but how? Tina shook the man's hand and in the end with their things they were accompanied to the exit door.
Their car was brought back to the curb by the building's security guard and they both entered in silence, although it lasted very little.
"don't leave."
Tina said quickly as Bette was going to the ignition.
She turned to the blonde "did you forget something on there?"
"no, maybe you forgot something, don't you think?"
Bette looked at her, then looked away
"I really don't have time to waste..."
"do you think I do? to play these disgusting games hm?"
"what is it Tina just say it damn it!" "do you know each other?"
Bette opened her mouth and then didn't answer.
"Bette.." The tone was warning.
"Yes..." the brunette let out a little.
Tina sighed heavily, massaging her forehead, closing her eyes to ease the tension, then stared at the gray road passing by.
"How much?"
"What?"
"How much do you know him...how do you know him?"
Tina was staring at her now, Bette had no choice.
"Since college, we've been in the same classes for three years..."
Tina was staring at her almost murderously.
"What do you know about him? Why did you make that joke about screwing all the pretty women?"
"Because Benjamin has always been like that. A Latin lover, okay? He's always loved beautiful women...he idolized them, seduced them, and they fell at his feet..."
"You too?"
"What...? fuck...are you serious?"
"I have to know Bette! You've already lied to me..."
"No, obviously not."
Tina noticed Bette's embarrassment and decided to leave the personal aside and go professional
"I don't want you to keep me in the dark about work matters anymore... is that clear? Or you'll go straight to my father and tell him that I've changed countries again!" Bette looked at her, raising an eyebrow in annoyance.
"you know Tina... the fact that I know Benjamin doesn't mean we'll do a bad job on his case... I know how to handle my job..."
"I hope so, Bette!"
"It's clear that we can't work together!"
Bette spat as she started the car and looked in the mirror.
Tina crossed her arms over her chest after buckling up.
"It's clear that there are too many things that the two of us can't do."
"Yeah."
Tina swallowed the bitter pill of Bette's answer and remained silent for the rest of the drive thinking and rethinking how to work in the best way with Bette.
She really didn't know how to trust her, it was work she knew, but in this case Tina couldn't see only work between them like always, not that it implied love but it was different with Bette.
When they got to the studio Bette left Tina on the upper level of the garage
"I'll go park, go ahead."
she said in a rather sweet tone and Tina nodded
"so... I'll prepare what we need and everything on Gwen ok? or do you want me to take care of..."
"no I'll take care of him ok? Just trust me..."
Tina got out of the car with a small smile "ok..." she only managed to say before Tina disappeared into the darkness of the second floor of the garage.
Bette spent the rest of the day in a sloppy and hellish way, she pestered James several times that afternoon even though he was used to it that time she asked Bette several times if there was something wrong but obviously the brunette avoided the subject, she wasn't a woman of many words, not after that morning spent in close contact with Tina.
The only reassuring thing was Shane calling almost at dinner time when Bette was still in the office, James quickly passed it to her.
"Do you want to go out?"
"No Shane, please...I'm exhausted..."
"Oh you'll see Pippa?"
"I haven't even heard from her, you know? I really am a shitty partner!"
"Since when have you been partners?"
"Well actually we aren't...but here we are...after all it's been three months that I've only been with her...what should I call us?"
Shane chuckled "Well that sounds almost serious to you..."
"Look who's talking!"
Bette laughed, she loved Shane, he reminded her of a mini version of herself.
"I'm just tired..."
"Problems at work? With a certain blonde?"
Bette remained silent
"Bette...you and Tina...please don't repeat it."
"We're not repeating anything Shane, you know that!"
"Yes, but I also know how much you loved her as well as how much she made you suffer...just find a balance, without getting burned!"
"Yeah...it's just...well there's Benjamin's divorce at stake."
"Benjamin who?"
"Evans!"
"Damn..."
"Shane!"
"Sorry, sorry...well that little brat was hoping to have a perfect life with his prime minister father, huh? He'll be a blast for school, what's the problem..."
"What's the problem with me and Ben, remember?"
"Oh you were too obsessed with the male genitalia again Bette!"
"I already hated him actually..."
Bette sighed "Tina realized that we know each other but I didn't tell her the truth."
"Why?"
"because I don't want to put her in uncomfortable situations with her father...Tom doesn't know anything...or he would never have entrusted me with the case, and this is important for the firm...usually men don't have great chances with divorces, especially if there are children involved...but Ben can have privileges, it was his wife who cheated on him!"
"Are you sure that man was that pure?"
"It seems so, but I'll make sure."
"Well I don't think Tina will care who you slept with before you defined your sexuality!"
"She won't know."
"No, you have to tell her Bette...you know Benji...he's a big talker...Tina will find out...and honestly, betraying someone's trust for the second time is not a good idea."
Bette rubbed her forehead "Do you really think so?"
"Absolutely."
So Bette later found herself trying to figure out if Tina was still in her office, and from the little yellow light that was on she certainly was, so taking courage she knocked softly waiting for a sign from the other side of the door.
When Bette entered the blonde wasn't even looking at her, her head was buried in the folder in front of her face, she wasn't like Bette, she hadn't even used someone as her assistant like James for Bette, Tina had always been so revolutionary.
Only when the door behind Bette closed did Tina raise her chin, lowering the folder of documents she was paying attention to.
"Oh....tell me..." she said in an embarrassed tone.
Bette was breathless for a second those eyes were always so beautiful, always so deep.
"I need to talk to you, sorry I didn't mean to bother you.. I see you work almost more than me..."
Bette pointed to the papers scattered on the table as she sat down on the armchair.
"Oh I was just reviewing some things, nothing important... what did you want to tell me?"
Tina noticed the elegance with which Bette sat, her shirt always rolled up at the elbows, Tina had taken it off so many times, Bette was a fanatic of shirts.
"I need to talk to you about Benjamin..."
Tina swallowed while listening "I didn't tell you the truth."
The brunette watched her, feeling that little thrill when the blonde looked disappointed in her own back, but Bette tried not to lean too much into it.
“We had a history…we were drunk and happy at the end of class once…nothing special…when I was still fantasizing about my father’s idea that my love for women was due to a maternal lack.”
Tina leaned back in her chair, looking at the ceiling, her hands folded over her abdomen.
“Nothing will interfere with the divorce.”
“You lied to me, again.”
“I…”
“We were in the car today…because you didn’t tell the whole truth.”
“I thought you’d be mad over nothing.”
“That’s your problem, thinking you know how other people feel.”
Bette snorted "that's not true."
"it is."
Tina pointed out, tapping a finger on the table and coming forward with her body
"you're always so know-it-all Bette..you think you know how the people around you feel...but you know what? you don't always know everything" Bette froze "oh take it any chance...but it's the truth."
Bette didn't take it this time, she stood up
"listen, I don't want to repeat the scene in the park and not even..."
"not even what..sit down and don't run away!"
"run away? From what? From you? You're the one running away! You're so good Tina!"
The blonde was struck by the words like a blade, it was true, she had been good at running to make the tracks disappear, to avoid the pain, the disappointment, the betrayal.
"so? are you lost for words?"
"we can't communicate..."
Tina said in defeat and Bette felt the same pang in her heart.
"we used to be good..."
"until you broke my heart."
"you didn't even give me a chance Tina."
"for what?"
"I fucking loved you!"
Bette hissed through gritted teeth, tears almost forming at the edges of her eyes
"and then what? you married a fucking rich man and..."
"no. you can't do it Bette, you have to understand."
Tina jumped up from her chair and approached Bette, the tones and voices were low, the office wasn't completely empty yet.
The two women were now terribly close. "You can't talk to me about my ex-husband who you don't even know!"
Bette formed a sneer on her face
"What? He satisfied you more than me? Was that what you liked? Because I was never able to..."
"You have to shut up or I swear on my mother Bette you will never be able to say a single word to me again. Who the fuck do you think you are, huh? You are nothing to me anymore. You are the past."
Tina's face went red, anger taking over.
Bette closed her eyes, hands on her hips, looking down, she couldn't let herself get hurt like that again.
"You're the past too Tina...but still about Evans, nothing will change, I know Benji and we'll do everything according to procedure. My life doesn't have to interest you like I do yours."
Bette was firm and determined
"of course not, now you have your fun..." Tina said raising her hands and going back to the desk, sitting down and retrieving the scattered papers "the days of intimate chats are over..."
Bette nodded "of course. It's mutual."
That conversation ended like this, with Bette leaving the room and Tina unable to conclude anything else. It was always like that between them, just a few more words exchanged and it was the end, they lit up. They burned each other, corroded each other's skin, and to think that at one time they had loved each other deeply.
"Everything ok?"
"yes, yes...I need a good wine and...you."
Bette whispered those words like candy sugar, Pippa shivered smiling.
"Then let's go to mine, I have everything you need."