(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Till We Meet Again | A Bette-Tina Beginning Chapter 5

Lobby, New York Downtown Hospital

Eric sauntered into the New York Downtown Hospital, both worried and amused about his wife. Worried, because he had received a call that she was hurt and amused because he had caught the 6pm news with a picture of his wife and a ‘Bette Porter’ accused of possibly being the Blackbeast. The police had cleared the matter with the media since then, announcing that it was a case of mistaken identity and both Tina and Bette had accused each other of being the kidnapper at the New York Subway, leading to a showdown between the two. Eric found the entire situation hilarious.

“Hi, I would like to see my wife,” Eric said walking up to the reception with a wry smile, “the Blackbeast,” he broke out into a full grin.

Alice pulled up beside him, “Hi, could you tell me what room my partner, Bette Porter is in? She was brought here this afternoon from the Subway after some accident?”

Alice shook her head. For the umpteenth time, Bette had disappointed her. She had had to cancel all her meetings for the late afternoon to be here, and her plans for a nice evening with Bette where they could reconnect was surely ruined by now. She sighed, a bit exasperated.

Eric turned to Alice with a serious expression on his face. “Your partner is the Blackbeast?” he deadpanned.

Alick smirked and shook her head. “No, she is just a beast.”
Both Eric and Alice burst out laughing at this.

“Hi, I am Eric Lively, the Blackbeast’s husband,” he held out his hand for Alice to shake.

Alice took his head, smiling. “And I am Alice Piezecki, the beast’s partner or wife.”

Now Eric was glowing. “Oh I see, you are the diva from Diva. I have been trying to make an appointment to see you for so long. I run a PR firm called Kamikaze, you may have heard…” he broke off, looking at Alice sheepishly.

Alice raised her eyebrow. “Maybe, it is a bit difficult to get an appointment with me,” she said challenging Eric.

Eric smiled, “Well, trust me, avoiding me is close to impossible as well,” Eric stated smoothly, rising up to her challenge.

The receptionist cleared her throat, a bit irritated about these two happy campers making conversation at her desk. “Excuse me, but if you (pointing at Eric), would like to see your wife, and you (pointing at Alice) would like to see your partner, they are both in room 205,” she ended, clearly annoyed.

Meanwhile in Room 205…

Bette sat on her hospital bed in a daze, with a goofy smile on her lips. It was truly a rare sight. The paramedics had tranquilized her thinking she was injured and delirious.

Nurse Stevens leaned down besides Bette. “I am really sorry. We tranquilized you by mistake…You are fine besides an old knee injury. Your partner has been contacted and she will be here soon to take you home.”

Bette merely nodded, still dazed and smiling. “Does your mother love you?” she sang to the nurse.

Nurse Stevens, a bit confused and still leaning down towards Bette, said “Yes.”

“Good, cuz she is really gonna miss you! I will kill you…” and with that Bette lunged at the nurse, who yelped and exited the room as fast as she could.

Bette continued in her rage, “Hey, where do you think you are going?! You will be hearing from my lawyer. My lawyer will talk to you!”

“And my lawyer will talk to you!” interjected Tina from another hospital bed beside Bette.

She finally looked up and saw Bette clearly for the first time… “Hey I know you!”

Bette nodded, “Yes, even I remember. We have met.” She grimaced at the thought.

“Damnit. Look what you did! My ankle… Now I cannot walk for a week thanks to you Ms. Porter!” Tina had not meant to let Bette know how well she remembered her. She was growing angrier, but more so at herself.

“Ha!” Bette scrowled. “I cannot walk for a lifetime thanks to you Ms. Kennard.” She grinded her teeth together, but satisfied that Tina had remembered her name. After all, Bette was unforgettable, right?

Tina looked at Bette, a tad bit confused but her expression softened. “What do you mean?” she scanned the brunette looking for signs of injury.

“If I hadn’t met you on your wedding day 3.5 years ago, I wouldn’t have been hit by your limo…and I wouldn’t be left with this permanent limp.” Bette pointed to her bad knee. She got up to the bed and walked to the window “My life would have been completely different…with a different set of pain and joys,” she said softly. And turned around to look at Tina.

Tina did not know how to react … She felt really sorry about what had happened but it certainly was not her fault. And here, Bette was blaming her?! Tina grew more irritated.

“And if I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have gotten married,” she retorted, a bit too harshly and growing more defensive.

Bette’s eyebrows shot up. She limped back to her bed, curious about Tina’s statement. They sat on their beds, facing each other.

“Wouldn’t have gotten married?” Bette inquired inquisitively searching for an answer. “Is that a good thing or bad?” she pondered out loud, watching Tina closely for reactions.

“Good!” Tina stated quickly without much thinking.

“Good?” Bette asked feigning shock.

“No, bad!” Tina said, now growing more uncomfortable with the line of questioning.

“Bad?” Bette grinned. Oh this was too good…She would have to thank the Blackbeast later.

“I don’t know!” Tina yelled, putting her hands up in confusion. “I don’t know, I don’t know, I wish I knew!”

“You have questions upon questions but no answers. Am I right Ms. Kennard?” Bette pointed out, sarcastically.

“It is Mrs. Tina Lively or just Tina. And why should I give you any answers. Just who do you think you are?! Tina was seething. Bette had accurately analyzed Tina’s predicament and she did not like it one bit.

“Who am I?” Bette leaned closer to Tina while Tina pulled back, not sure if Bette would lunge for her too. “Who am I?” Bette repeated and drew back. “I am the person who was escorting a terrified kid back to his home today, the kid that you kidnapped. Why? Don’t you have kids of your own?” Bette sneered in a pitiful manner at Tina. She had no idea she had struck a nerve.

Tina bristled with pain, anger and loss. But she refused to let Bette see her emotions and win as a result. “No, I don’t have kids of my own and I cannot, alright? Does that make you happy?” she continued as Bette seemed unfazed, “I teach children…I may not be a mother but I am a mother figure to many. And for your kind information, I was also escorting a child to her home today for her safety.” She raised her chin defiantly, challenging Bette to defy her.

“Ah I see. Teaching children. Escorting them. Kidnapping them. Does all this make your emptiness go away? Does it make you happier?” Bette inquired sarcastically.
Tina had just about had it with Bette. “Listen you…” she said threateningly, pointing a finger at Bette.

Wasting no time, Bette grabbed her finger, getting up on her feet and leaning down towards Tina, inches from her face.

“Admit it Tina…Your life is empty, unfulfilling,” she looked into the soft but vacant hazel eyes, “Acceptance is the first step. I can see the emptiness in your eyes,” Bette continued softly, drawing closer to Tina, “just as you can see the same emptiness reflecting back in mine,” Bette finished, staring intensely into Tina’s eyes.

Tina’s head was swimming with many emotions…anger, pain, irritation, frustration, loss and something else. Something that is hard to define. Bette was too close for comfort but she felt warm and comforted, strangely enough. Bette smelled good…really good. Her heart beat faster and her skin felt hot but she also had goosebumps. Maybe she was coming down with a fever, Tina thought. Hazel eyes met and stared into chocolate brown ones, hypnotized. Her body was betraying her mind; Tina was unable to break the gaze, unable to look away.

Bette had not meant to get this close to Tina, but once she was within inches of Tina’s lips, she didn’t want to breakaway. Once Bette had captured her gaze, she didn’t want this moment to end. In silence, they communicated, wordlessly exchanging sympathies and sorrows, and reigniting the unavoidable connection between them that had existed from their very first meeting.

“Tina!” Eric hustled into the room and took his wife into his arms, ignoring Bette, who almost tripped over the shock but glad that Eric had given her a moment to compose herself. She frowned as Eric placed a kiss on Tina’s forehead.

“I missed you. I am glad you are ok.” Eric smoothed Tina’s hair, sitting down beside her.

Tina was glad to see Eric, someone familiar but also slightly irritated about the interruption. What interruption? She mentally chastised herself…There was nothing to interrupt. Right?

Alice entered the room just then and Bette was glad for the distraction that she hoped would encourage the over-affectionate, lovey-dovey couple to keep their hands to themselves.

“Aww, my dear wife Alice, you really didn’t have to burden yourself by coming here. Really now, you have done so much for me…My shoulders are heavy from the weight of the favors you keep doing for me.” Bette mockingly bowed down, pretending to carry a heavy weight on her back, “Really, you shouldn’t have!”

Alice rolled her eyes. Bette was too much. “Please Bette…I have a really bad headache. Can we go?” she pleaded.

“Yes, of course. Wait…where are our manners, let me check my pocket?” Bette patted down her pockets and looked around the room, as if she was really searching for their manners.

“Oh yes, hi there, I am Bette, the rude one is my partner Alice,” she said extending her hand to Eric and pointing to Alice, who rolled her eyes and put her hand out to Tina.

Eric seemed amused. He got up, “Eric, and I have already met Alice. It’s nice to meet you…Bette,” shaking her hand, thinking ‘not really.’

“Yes, yes, the pleasure is all mine, even under the unusual circumstances. We should all get together and have one big party.” It was unclear whether the tranquilizer was wearing off or just kicking in…

Tina felt sorry for Alice, “Hi Alice, I apologize for the entire misunderstanding. It was my fault,” she conceded.

“Yes!” Bette fisted the air triumphantly while Tina ignored her. No wait, everyone seemed to be ignoring her.

Alice took an instant liking to Tina. “It’s alright Tina. I am sure Bette was as much to blame for it,” she said, winking at Tina knowingly. Tina laughed.

“Alright that’s enough telling strangers how much you love your wife!” Bette said mockingly and turned to Alice.

“You said something about going?” She walked out as Alice followed closely behind.

“Goodbye, sayonara…uh-oh…” Bette spun around, almost colliding into Alice.

“Wait, wait…I know I know…No goodbye,” Bette said, sealing her lips with her hand, “No, never say goodbye. Someone once told me it was inauspicious. So we say cya later,” Bette said looking pointedly at Tina, “or till we meet again…” she added softly.

Tina was at a loss of words. She looked on as Alice dragged an unstable and dazed Bette out.

Eric turned to Tina with a puzzled expression on his face. “Was she on drugs?”