Bette Carina.

Alex hadn’t realized how much he needed this until now. Bette’s touch was like a balm to his stretched nerves that he had been taking care of, but not completely satisfying. Letting out a groan, he nodded quickly and almost desperately. “Y-Yes,” he managed to stutter. “More though,” he added as he brushed through her hair tenderly.

“The cost is not so much of an issue but the security has to be good.  I like the sound of the flexibility though.”  She lifted her tea to her lips, “I’ll give her a call later and see if I can go and take a look.”  Her smile fell and she sighed, “But I suppose I need Lord Tybalt’s permission before I move out and he would have to agree to the security.”

“I’m sure if you needed it, she’d be happy to discuss any further security measures, deadlocks, or anything else you need” She offers Megan a small sympathetic smile. Perhaps that’s why she didn’t take Oz on his offer of becoming a Montague, the freedom of making her own choices, living her life without stifling permission. Though she supposes it’s the double edged sword when the loneliness kicks in. “Perhaps he could come with you? I mean it’d probably take a weight off his shoulders, he’d be more comfortable having seen it for himself and to put in his two cents?”

Text: Fabulous, I will see you then my darling.

Neve was appreciative of all Bette’s help. She nodded, taking it all in. “I’ll try that. Thank you.” When they got to the market, Neve turned to face Bette and listened to her suggestion. “I’ll do that. I’ll tell him you sent me, if that’s alright.” She smiled brightly. She was glad she’d run into such a nice woman. Maybe Verona wasn’t so bad. 

“Thank you again for all your help. For bringing me here…for telling me how to find my Dominant.” He wasn’t anymore, but part of her was hopeful. “Well, you know what I mean.” She smiled sadly. “I’ll let you get back to your own day. I hope to run into you again.”

Megan looked on in confusion as Bette suddenly dived into her bag but she soon understood.  She took the piece of paper with a murmured thanks as the blonde explained about the apartments.  “Does it have an entry system in addition to Valeria?” she asked curiously.   “Does she require a large deposit?” she added knowing that no matter what she did it was going to cost her dear, possibly in more ways than one.

“Just a numbered code on the door to get in, but there’s also security cameras if that helps.. And when I moved in, it was 200 euro, but that was years ago. I got it back too, though I also paid for my own end of lease cleaning..” She pauses, a finger resting on her spoon as she stirs her tea. “... She’s a good person to have on your side when things aren’t going smoothly. She’ll look after you, you know?” She doesn’t want to bring up Oz by name, or what is happening. “Like I said, it’s nothing fancy but it’s a roof over your head and your own space” 

Neve figured that maybe Bette was talking about her own experience. If only it had been that. She could maybe fix that. This? She wasn’t so sure. She listened to the tips and nodded. “Those are good ideas. I’ll try them.” She told her. 

She shrugged. “Kind of? He’s a Romano. I know a lot of his family lives here, but I don’t know who is. I’m worried none of them want to see me either…” Neve trailed off. 

A part of her wishes she could be like Neve. Young, and caught up in ... A something. The belief that perhaps love was enough to get through anything. Enough to jump ship and chase someone with no plan, no free fall, just turning up in a city and hoping through sheer dumb luck that she’d run into the person she’d been wanting to see. 

Megan picked up the tablet and began to fill out her details on the job application, looking up as the other woman spoke to her.  Putting the tablet down she reached for her own tea.  “I’m not sure.  I need to move out of my current apartment as soon as possible although I’m not even living there right now.  I just don’t know if I’m even going to be in Verona in a few months so there is no point buying if I’m just going to have to sell it soon.”

“Oh in that case...” Bette pauses, rummaging in her bag before pulling out a notepad and scribbling a name, address, and a phone number. “Here, this is my old landlady’s details. She owns an apartment building in town. It’s fairly small, but she’s good with both long and short team rentals, as well as some coming furnished if you’re not sure of what you’d like to do next” She can’t blame Meg for not wanting to stick around Verona, or what she must be feeling and going through with everything that’s going on. “They’re nothing luxurious, but they’re cleaned and well maintained and no-one gets in and out without Valentina’s permission. And I can say first hand having viewed it, no-one is safe from her rage if someone tries to come in without permission”

Text: Perfect.  I look forward to it.  Don’t bring anything, I will order take out and I just want to spend some time with you.

“I suppose closure would be nice as well. It just ended…abruptly? I’d like to try and explain.” Neve shook her head. “I have no idea where he is. He won’t respond to me. So, I’ve simply been wandering around, hoping I’ll run into him.” Neve confessed. “I know I sound hopeless, but…I love him.”

“Sometimes they just leave for no reason, it might not have even been anything you did.. It’s just.. They think there’s something better out there, and they go and try to find it” Bette’s words are quiet, reminiscing on her own whirlwind claim, and the subsequent ending. No fighting words, no tears or pleading. Just a note and the flash of dark curls on a moped. The girl is young, pretty and a part of her wants to tell the girl to move on, to not chase someone that doesn’t want to be chased. “Try his instagram, or his snapchat. They sometimes have location stamps which can narrow it down to almost the exact street. I’ve seen it done” 

“Of course,” Megan said quickly. “Just let me make you some space.”  Moving her tablet to the side she gathered all the property details into a pile and laid the electronic device on top before lifting her tea to take another sip and considering whether to continue looking at houses or filling out the job application.

“Thanks” Bette’s tone is grateful as she settles down at the table, taking a sip from her tea before relaxing into the chair with a soft sigh half wishing she could have a hot chocolate, though she knows in her job? The telltale dairy bloat would be on display before shaking her head at the waiters offer of a menu with a polite smile and refusal before gesturing to the property stamp at the head of a paper. “They’re a good realtor. I went through them when I brought my house recently. They made it pretty easy and have good finance for loans. Are you thinking of buying?”

Text: Indeed, just an hour or two without work is like a vacation.

Text: Saturday would be wonderful.  I would of course like you to stay for the night unless you have other plans for the morning.

Several property listing pages lay on the table next to her cup as she looked for a new apartment but it was the tablet in her hand that really had Megan wondering if this was it.  She put the device down, the job application still open as she ran her hand over her face with a sigh.  Could she really leave Verona and start again elsewhere or was the question did she really want to stay?  Jumping at the voice she looked up reaching to turn the device face down as she did.

Offering an apologetic smile to Megan, Bette waits to get her attention before asking “No chance you’d mind sharing a table? The others are taken and I’m hoping if I wait here long enough that it’ll stop drizzling by the time I have to leave and head back to work”

“M-my house? Oh, no. I’m not staying. Just here temporarily.” Neve followed the woman as they began to walk toward the market. “It’s nice to meet you, Bette. I’m…here to try and make amends with my ex-Dominant.” She said honestly.