6
More weeks had passed between Tina and Bette's work. The Evans case was moving forward in small steps, the first meeting between husband and wife would be in a week and Tom had been breathing down both of their necks, it was essential to win this legal battle, even if it was about family, about children.
About two separate souls.
"You need something, I'm going to Cherri... I'll get some grilled chicken."
Alice poked her head into Tina's office "oh no I ate that bar..."
"Tina you know that stuff is not healthy.."
"Yes" the blonde replied tiredly "but you also know that my time here is limited..."
"yeah...by the way...I picked up your dress..."
Tina covered her eyes for a few infinite seconds.
The law firm's December dinner had not ceased to exist, not even after Tina had moved away for all that time. Tina had always hated her, she remembered those times when she and Bette were together, when they were close, they supported each other with their looks, Bette would help Tina in the countless times when her father wanted to introduce her to some classy man, of a high level as she hoped.
Usually at the end of the evening Tina would laugh, amused by the situation, while Bette would always look for constant confirmation and always tell Tina that maybe her father was right and that she should choose a nice boy or girl of her age. Tina always enjoyed reassuring Bette, she knew that she really needed it.
"I just hope it's a nice dress!"
"Sexy as always..." Alice making herself a coffee "oh by the way a certain Bette Porter is coming over, I booked the car."
"the car? Bette loves to drive..."
"well but obviously her woman loves her to be in the back seat..you know to do those dirty things..."
"God Alice, I don't really care you know? I had sex with Bette Porter in the car multiple times!"
"My god! So it wasn't just love..."
Tina laughed disconcerted "well being in love doesn't mean being nuns! We had fun you know?"
"Well the details have always escaped me. Especially from you."
"because you're more of a friend of Bette's than mine...but for now that Helena is missing, I'll put up with you."
Alice raised her eyebrows "I've always been rooting for you Kennard!"
"And that wasn't enough...anyway don't book a car for me, I'll come with my dad."
"awarded...."
"Honey, are you ready?"
Bette heard herself talking on the speakerphone of her phone, while she was looking at herself in the bathroom mirror.
"Yes, I'll be down in a minute..."
Hanging up the call she slipped on her heels, her beige suit was impeccable, the skirt came just above the knee, with cream inserts, her ass was even more enhanced by the tight fabric. The white shirt illuminated her dark neck, she had gathered her hair in a sort of half ponytail with a pearl clip. Bette was stratospheric. She put everything in her clutch and looked at herself before heading towards the front door in the long vertical mirror.
She was okay, she thought.
There would always be the same idiot faces in the studio, Bette got along with everyone and no one, she didn't like conventional relationships very much, she loved sincere relationships, better few but good.
Pausing at the cuff of her shirt, she hid that little bracelet well inside her sleeve, now it would be more difficult, but Bette did not want to give up wearing it. For a moment she thought about the fact that she would be there with Pippa, in the presence of Tina, for a moment she was breathless, how could she do?
She closed her eyes and opened them again "you promised yourself that Tina would be a closed matter."
Bette sighed observing how much she had changed, her lines more persistent compared to when she was Tina's age now, thirty years old, now she was almost forty.
That party, Bette had been there for years and Tina hadn't been there for six years, she had disappeared from the village, from sight, Bette always felt incomplete without her but also freer to breathe. Now she had a woman her age next to her, Pippa loved her, she was smart, free, Bette loved the best.
"Stop it and come down!"
"Tina...it's nice to see you honey...how long has it been?"
"Quite a few years Mrs. Kingston...it's nice to see you again..."
"Wow Jeremy would be thrilled to see you again...he and Martha, well they broke up...I knew that woman wasn't the right one!"
Tina smiled blushing "it happens..."
"I know. Your father told me everything dear..."
Tina cursed her father for a few seconds while the rather old lady continued to talk in front of her, that's why she hated these events, everyone wanted to meddle in something that wasn't meant for them. Luckily Tina caught sight of Alice with a girl at her side it was Michelle, the new secretary, with Helena out of the picture for a while everything was difficult at the firm, so Tom had asked Alice to select some good girls. Michele seemed okay, he would mostly handle Tina's things, since Alice was for Tom and Bette.
Tina politely excused herself from Mrs. Kingston and continued on in the direction of the two women.
"Tina are you surviving?" Alice joked, handing her a glass of prosecco.
"Quite...Hi Michelle..."
"Hello Mrs....um..."
"Michelle call me Tina...I may be a few years older than you..."
"Oh thank you Tina..." The girl blushed "well I just turned 25..."
"I'm thirty...I told you and age is a number right?"
Alice laughed "for Tina Kennard for sure."
Tina giggled sipping her drink "don't listen to her Michelle..."
"no ...I've known Alice for a few years, I know she loves pranks."
"it's not one...."
"Alice, let's stop it please... don't contaminate Michelle!"
The three women stood there chatting about this and that for a while. In the meantime Tina also saw Bette and Pippa enter together, this thing annoyed her, as much as it annoyed her father.
"Why do you let her be here? She's the competition."
Tina had asked her and Tom just snorted
"I'm doing it for Bette, you know how much I think of her... I can't worry about her personal choices... not anymore at least."
Tina understood what he was referring to, in a certain way Tom was happy that Bette had her eyes and hands off Tina for now and that she was busy even if it was with the competition.
"besides..it's just dinner Tina...let's enjoy it, no work."
No work.
When dinner began, the nod that had served as a greeting between the two women unfortunately had to transform into something more concrete, because they ended up at the same table.
"This is Pippa Pascal..." Bette simply said, "Pippa, this is Tina...Tom Kennard's daughter."
Tom Kennard's daughter.
Tina shivered.
She wasn't just Tom's daughter, she had been Bette's lover, without barriers, without limits, she had loved Bette as she could love herself and now she was just the daughter of a fucking sixty year old lawyer.
She could have knocked that table over at any moment, pulled the chair back and walked away forever, she felt the heat on her cheeks. But then Tina breathed deeply, remembering their conversation in the office almost a month ago, they were the past and nothing more.
So she forced a kind smile but the one that came out wasn't very friendly.
"your business has been pretty bad lately if I'm not mistaken..."
Bette looked up at Tina as she pulled away from the goose liver pate, but Tina didn't look at her.
"Um...well...ups and downs, like all respectable firms..."
Pippa replied diplomatically a little embarrassed as she wiped her lips
"after so many years of work...it can happen..."
"How long have you been a lawyer Pippa?" Alice interjected
"oh almost twenty years..."
"Wow....according to the calculations...well how old are you if I may ask?"
"Alice!" Bette admonished her as she leaned back in her chair.
"Well for a woman like you it shouldn't be a problem..." Tina supported Alice meeting Bette's dissenting look.
"45, in May..."
Bette raised a eyebrow when she realized Tina was slightly surprised.
"You're playing with age, eh Bette..." Tina said almost amused, but Bette played along this time
"sometimes.. I want to feel that thrill..."
"Thrill?" Alice was there once again "a danger of collapse."
Tina laughed, covering her mouth, Pippa and Michelle were there watching the exchange, not understanding the point, Bette remained still at Alice's response, a glassy look characterizing her eyes.
"Sorry Pippa...it's just that Bette has had several problems with age...always..."
Tina concluded and the waiter came to take their plates, that sentence struck Bette who was ready to take Pippa's hand in hers from under the table. Tina understood that intimate gesture and started a conversation with Michelle who Bette kept a close eye on. Tina was talkative with everyone, she could capture all the attention possible, everyone adored Tina, she was not like Bette.
Bette and Pippa spoke to several people on the team until it was Tom's turn, Bette knew she wouldn't escape this.
"Pippa, how are you? Is your father okay?"
"Yes Mr. Kennard...the usual polo thing, but everything's normal..."
"Oh polo...I haven't played it in ages...I might get back in touch..."
"Sure sir, I'll tell my father to make himself available..."
Tom smiled "Well you're not going to talk about work are you?"
"Oh no Dad..." Tina came out from behind "also because I don't think Bette knows that Mrs. Pascal has been chosen as Gwen's lawyer..."
Bette watched Tina join in the conversation, her eyes narrowed at the amused blonde almost. A laugh came out
"It's Cleveland...he was chosen..."
A silence fell, as Tina and her father exchanged a look and then returned to Bette who didn't understand.
"Well yes, I'm his replacement...Cleveland was removed due to bureaucratic problems."
"What kind of problems..?"
Bette asked in a small voice, finally facing Pippa.
"He knew Gwen..." Tom said sharply "these things happen..."
"true..." Tina retorted
"I would have told you about it..." Tina heard Pippa whisper but Tom's attention was captured by his friend Bolt who was about to leave, so he left the conversation. Tina observed for a minute
"calm down Pippa...these things happen...Bette lies much better than you..."
The blonde turned and walked away, almost regretting that move of such a reckless young woman...who was no longer.
Before the end of the evening Tina took a bathroom break, the hotel would be crowded for a while longer and her father would be closing the party anyway, so Tina was prepared for at least another hour of ceremonies. When she entered she bumped into something
"Um sorry!"
Tina said without even seeing who it was, but it didn't take long to recognize the brown curls neatly arranged in the pin.
"You're so intrusive all the time..."
"I'm sorry okay? This door is in a bad state here!"
Tina said answering in a tone as acidic as Bette's. The brunette looked at her and sighed going to the sink and turning on the tap.
"You know I thought we had agreed not to get into personal matters..."
Bette was angry, Tina could sense it in her tone of voice, in her frantic movements.
"We overdid it, I'm sorry..."
"No you overdid it...Alice...you know what? Do you really think that what Alice thinks affects me like your words?"
Bette turned around tearing some paper from the dispenser.
Tina crossed her arms over her chest
"she's your friend..."
"yes but..." Bette looked up, biting her lip in search of the right word "there wasn't what we had with her, Tina."
"obviously not."
Tina replied without leaving Bette's gaze
"how much will you condemn me for my insecurity that I've had with you for years?" Tina sighed "Bette, do you know what? We shouldn't talk about it."
"It seems so to me."
"For me it's a no! I was wrong, I was intrusive with Pippa... it won't happen again."
Tina started to open the door but the sound of Bette's voice stopped her
"did you know she had been chosen as the counterpart? For how long?"
Tina didn't turn around "for a week... I think she found out as much as my father found out, a few days ago."
Bette swallowed, lingering on Tina's back, only then did she notice how beautiful she was, with that long ivory dress, with the long sleeves, they had been the same color all evening and Bette hadn't even noticed.
"Be careful Bette...just this."
Tina said those words and slipped into the bathroom, hearing the door open and close a few seconds later and then silence.
She was gone.
Tina thought about it, thought about that little discussion in the bathroom, about the age factor, about the remorse and regrets of a story, right when they were in the office in the council chamber. She on one side with Benjamin who was massaging his forehead, Tina really hoped that things were going well for him, and on the other side Pippa was filling out some forms while Gwen was tapping on the phone screen, that woman was unbearable. Bette hadn't arrived yet. Tina had waited ten minutes, it wasn't like Bette to be late, but in that case Tina would start without her.
"So... we can start..."
Pippa gave her a strange look that Tina decided to ignore, laying the papers out on the table. The woman remained with the phone in her hand even when Pippa reached out to take the documents.
"What are these?"
"prenuptial agreements, testimonials.. it's everything your client owes her husband..."
At that moment the door opened, Bette entered like a hurricane.
"Good morning, sorry I'm late."
Bette sat down on the empty chair next to Tina, no mention of Pippa, but only of her and Benji, she held out a hand with a Starbucks coffee in front of the blonde with a hint of a smile.
"The car is gone.. " she whispered and Tina nodded almost sweetly.
"my client will keep the house...there are children..."
"Absolutely...yes...but it won't be sole custody." Tina said
"yeah" Benjamin grinned.
There was silence for a moment until Gwen decided it was time to pay attention to the matter.
"What? I'm not leaving my children with him!"
She said looking at Pippa. Bette was leaning back as if she were at the beach, relaxed, almost happy that at that moment she wasn't in the middle of the road with a half-broken car.
Tina sighed, Pippa was almost killing her with her eyes, part of that anger was also because Bette hadn't even said hello, the coffee had been brought for Tina, Pippa's blood was boiling.
"All children of separated parents are entrusted completely to the mother...you know that, right?"
At that point Bette stepped forward. "well..." the tone was sharp, Bette didn't show much fear in speaking to her woman "not in case the woman is a traitor..Mrs. Morris, she has no rights here, the injured party is our client."
Gwen's eyes widened.
"Of course the children will live with her, but our client will be offered the opportunity to see them whenever he wants." Tina said professionally.
"I absolutely don't want to... I made a mistake but I'm an excellent mother."
"No one confirms the opposite... it's with your husband that you haven't been excellent..."
Bette said with marked sarcasm, eliciting a small laugh from Tina that Pippa didn't go unnoticed.
"We all make mistakes... are you saying that no one else in the world has ever cheated?"
Pippa said raising an eyebrow. Bette became nervous, Tina could see it by the veins in her hand that rested a few inches from her notebook.
"Not without paying..."
Bette's tone came out a mixture of bitterness and regret, it was painful in tone. Tina didn't turn around, she swallowed quite obviously. Pippa and Bette looked at each other insistently until Pippa lowered her gaze to Gwen.
"we'll think about it and let you know."
The meeting broke up there, Tina knew there would be a fight. Gwen wouldn't give up so easily, she saw her as a fighter, but Tina and Bette were too and Benjamin wasn't to blame. They had seen many women ruin men in their careers, guilty of crimes, crimes, betrayals, but this time Benjamin Evans was different.
"Bette I can't lose my children completely!"
Benjamin was saying in the hall.
"It won't happen...we have the cards in our favor...really..."
Bette was reassuring him when Tina arrived with her suitcase, it was lunch time.
"Can we go?"
"Just a moment."
Bette walked towards the stairs on the right, Tina could see her and Pippa in the distance arguing, or at least talking animatedly. Finally Pippa turned and walked away leaving Bette with her hands on her hips staring at the woman walking away, Pippa was full of charm though, Tina had to admit. When Bette returned her love was as bad as the car crash with the broken down car, she got into Tina's car in silence, the driver was driving through traffic with a soft radio playing in the background.
Outside the clouds covered the sky as always.
"Do you want to eat?"
"I'm not hungry..."
"Bette..."
"I don't want to talk Tina...or eat..."
Tina sighed and then Bette saw her out of the corner of her eye lean forward towards Derek.
"Can you take us to Kensington Garden please?"
"Sure."
Bette stared at her "What? What are you going to do there?"
"Well I have to eat and I want a sandwich, if you don't want it you'll have to walk back."
"A sandwich? Really."
Bette snorted, rolling her eyes
"I know you only hate sandwiches as a formality...deep down you love them Bette."
"I don't think so..."
"Oh I remember yes.."
"Those days are over."
"Well but I'll eat that sandwich."
The snow had started to stick to the ground, the two women got out of the car with the promise that they would be back there in 45 minutes. Tina walked determinedly on the wide sidewalk towards a stall on the left, it was run by a man in his fifties, red mustache and thin hair, he seemed nice. Tina looked at the colorful stall, she loved that food.
"So... a hot dog, with honey mustache please... and one of those too." she pointed to a bag of salted caramel peanuts.
Bette obviously stood there with her hands in her pockets watching as if Tina were a child at the amusement park.
"So?"
The blonde turned to her, a moment of silence, Bette wanted to say no, but those eyes were begging her.
"Hot dog." She said in a flat tone and Tina smiled without letting her notice.
"God, this is just as great as I remember....London is great for this."
Tina was happily devouring the hot dog. Bette handed her a handkerchief
"well... London is great for so many other more important things.."
"Well live without these for a while!" Bette was silent "how long has it been since you had them Bette?"
Bette stared at the road passing by
"years..."
The answer was enough for Tina
"but you love them...I know."
Bette smiled spontaneously shaking her head "well a little."
They were silent for a while, Tina offered a handful of peanuts to Bette who accepted them even if she was reluctant at first, but Tina knew that she loved peanuts too, she remembered it well.
"You were good with Pippa before..." Tina said smoothly "I mean...I guess it's hard to fight with someone who...is your company..."
The words were hard for Tina to say, but she said them almost naturally. Bette leaned on the bench, legs crossed.
"Yes it is...more for her than for me."
"Well you are very ruthless at work."
"I'd say determined..."
Tina nodded "maybe yes..."
"it's just that she wanted me to give up...Benjamin...the case..."
"oh..." Tina was surprised
"she didn't want this competition....and...well...she doesn't know about us..."
Tina swallowed "I imagined it...the night of the party, when I made that joke about her age...I thought she knew."
"maybe she had doubts..but she didn't tell me..."
Tina remained silent for a while, balling up the peanut paper in her fist.
"why didn't you tell her?"
Bette turned, their eyes met, Tina had red cheeks, red and full lips.
Those lips were spectacular, so kissable.
"I'm not proud of what I did..." Bette simply replied in a thin voice "I mean what I said today, mistakes are paid for, Tina..."
The blonde looked for a second, then eye to eye was unbearable and she looked away.
"However..." Bette continued "I wouldn't easily give up something I love just because someone asks me to."
Someone.
Tina repeated that word in her mind. So how much did Pippa mean to Bette? So little?
After a while they stood up and slowly walked back to the car, before getting in Bette turned to Tina.
"I'm sorry about before, my tone in the car... the personal discussion had made me... you know...." Bette bit her lip and then with extreme sincerity looked at Tina "but thank you for bringing me here... for the sandwich... and for this clear weather... it means a lot."
Bette smiled, first with her eyes and then with her lips. Tina found herself unable to formulate a sentence, she saw her slide on the seat and then followed her, that woman still knew how to turn her around.