Bette just looked at Jodi and offered another smile without answering the seemingly rhetorical question.

It was then that Bette noticed that they were now alone on the third level.

“Where did everyone go?” she asked.

“Oh, I told them we should head down and take a walk on the beach.” Jodi answered, casually turning towards the beach. “There they are right down there.” She said pointing to Bette’s friends trotting down the stairway in a single file line towards the sand.

Bette was ready to join them and started to walk back inside when Jodi’s voice again stopped her.

“So how long have you been seeing Kennard?”

Bette swung around again as she stood at the threshold of the sliding door. “Tina?” Of course, Tina, what other Kennard would she be talking about? “Not that long.” She said casually. Jodi was now leaning with her back towards the ocean, elbows on the railing, and sticking her chest out as she eyed Bette.

“Hmm. I see. Has she offered Kit a recording contract yet?”

“No, she hasn’t.”

“Is she going to?”

“We haven’t really talked about it.”

“You know, when I saw you guys together last night, it was kind of a shock.”

“Why’s that, Jodi?”

“Well, I mean, she had been dating Eric for about six or seven months, and who knows how long before that she had been fucking him. I mean they work together you know, so, business trips are really more for pleasure. Then of course there was Henry before that, and Ryan, oh, and Scott…”

“What’s your point, Jodi?”

“I’ve just never known Tina to be with a woman. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw her making out with you last night. That’s why I asked if she was trying to sign the band. Henry, Ryan, and Scott were talent managers too. It’s what she does.”

“I appreciate your concern. However, I don’t have professional relationship with Tina. Aside from that, I’m here because you’re looking to forge a professional relationship with my sister and my friends, so by default, with me. I’d appreciate it if we can keep it on that level.” Bette said without hesitation. Strike one Lerner, she thought.

“Of course, I’m sorry, I know it may not have been my place –”

“It wasn’t.”

Jodi laughed nervously, trying to back pedal a bit. “And I sincerely apologize, Bette. I just thought, professionally, you may want to know who you are dealing with before you deal.”

The ad exec just nodded her head.

“Shall we?” Jodi said as she pointed to the door.

Bette forced a smile. So far, she wasn’t impressed with how this meeting was going.