Love, Loss and Living

It was suicide Part 2

Two Weeks Later

Pierce Williams sat across from Bette at her campaign headquarters.  Bette had her head down looking at the newspaper with her picture and the headline beneath, Married Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Director linked to Porter.  What a monumental mess.  She found herself in a political scandal of her own doing.  She knew Felicity was married when she started the affair just after Kit passed away.  Her whole family was reeling from Kit's death and she had to be strong for them. She reached out for emotional support and at the time, Felicity was the only one who reached back.  It wasn't like she was in love with Felicity, in reality, she fell for the image of the other person she created.  She needed someone to meet her needs and now it seemed she was hooked - not on Felicity but the feelings she invoked.  Bette knew she had to stop this thing with Felicity.  Alice, gave her the forum, her show Alice, to tell her side and Bette had no intentions of letting her friend down by continuing the affair. Bette sighed as she felt a tightness in her chest grow.  She was in love with only one person, but that person wasn't around when Kit died.  Bette could have never for seen Felicity's estranged husband confronting her at a media event at City Hall... drunk.   

Bette slowly raised her head with an apologetic look at Pierce.  "I'm sorry Pierce.  I know this press quorum was important.  What's done is done, I can't change anything now."

Pierce sighed, "Yeah, you're right."

"What do we do now?"

"Well, a leader's, in your case a potential leader's apology is a performance in which every expression matters and every word becomes part of the public record.  Apologizing is a high-stakes move: for you, for our voters and for our financial supporters.  We weighed the costs and benefits to an apology.  You made a choice and took a chance and I think your appearance on Alice worked in our favor.  You came out looking strong in your character.  It polled really well.  But, I don't think the media is done with you yet.  An affair is like red meat to a lion."

"So, we did good so far?  But what I sense is you have another idea."

"Bette, this is way out of my expertise.  I can fundraise, poll, advertise and market you, but I am not a fixer.  There are people that only focus on fixing political scandals.  You met one the other day, Dani Nunez and you saw her work on TV. Remember how I told you she coached that father into saying his son's overdose on Opioids had nothing to do with his employer, a pharmaceutical company.  She is one of the best.  I heard there was a lot going on with her.  She was at the filming of Alice.  I spoke to her briefly and the rumors are true, she is not too happy with having to make Big Pharm look good.  She asked if she could talk to you."

"Really? What do you think?"

Pierce shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, she has been with Big Pharm, well her father's company forever.  I say hear her out.  It can't hurt.  We are going to have to find someone to help us anyways."

"Alright, give her a call and set up an appointment."

********
One Week Later

Bette Porter stared out her office window, trying to shake the negative thoughts and feelings that were conjured when the subject of Lez Girls was mentioned.  So much time had passed, over ten years since Jenny Schecter's death had been ruled a suicide.  She felt a tightness in her stomach as she recalled Shane and herself pulling Jenny out of the water.  Shane doing CPR to no avail.  The EMTs wheeling Jenny out, passing all of them including Angie.  None of the close knit friends talked about it.  The interrogations were brutal.  So many things came out that were hidden, Tina's incestuous relationship with her older sister, by far was the hardest for Bette.  Such a big secret, but it made so much sense when it came to Tina's insecurities and inability to assert herself.  Tina went into counseling at Bette's insistence after they arrived in New York, who would have guessed the counseling would eventually lead to their break up.