Previously:

    “Thanks honey, but I’m not giving up yet.” Tina dug
into her melon determinedly. “I, Tina Kennard,” a scoop and a swallow,
“will get Ms. Bette Porter,” scoop and swallow, “eating out of my
hand,” scoop and swallow, “within this week,” she stood up and tossed
the melon rind in the sink.

    “So Jenny, if anyone asks, I’m not available. I’ll
be having my hands full turning water… ” Tina smiled evilly, “…
into sweet, uninhibited, totally wanton… wine. Okay?”

    Jenny nodded in delight. Tina on a mission was always fun to watch.

    Bette lay on her bed, staring dreamily at the
ceiling. Spending the rest of the morning in bed trying, by herself, to
work Tina out of her system enabled her to exhaust her body but mind
just wouldn’t stop running. After her third ***** was brought about by
remembering Tina’s lips, she realized with disgust that she did
actually feel desire for Tina. If she had to be totally honest, she
felt more than desire. She was on fire for Tina. Her body was
blissfully relaxed for the first time in a very long time, and it was
because of the blonde woman who came for dinner and never left Bette’s
mind since.

    “But I can’t let her get under my skin. Fine, she’s
already under my skin, but I can’t let her burst into my life and mess
everything up.” Btte murmured to herself. She drummed her fingertips
against her forehead, trying to drill the following sentences deep into
her brain,

    “My life now is peaceful and quiet. It’s calm and
uncomplicated. I’m safe. I have everything I need right in this house,
and a few are scattered in my office at the CAC.” Bette tried to
remember the important files she kept in her office computer and came
up seeing Tina’s wink. “Argh! No I cannot let some crazy *****-driven
uncontrollable woman bulldoze ***** all over my well-ordered existence.
She’s so beautiful and… touchable, but I cannot touch her! I cannot
get involved with her in any way! She’ll ***** up my life… I just know
it.”

    Bette couldn’t muster up the conviction she thought
ought to go with the words. Somehow they seemed hollow. One thing did
occur to her that sobered her up immediately, like a punch to her gut:

    “After she’s gotten me to invest in her physically
and emotionally, she’s going to leave me.” Bette’s arm dropped to her
side and she suddenly felt as heavy as a boulder at the bottom of the
ocean. “That’s the one thing you must never  forget, Bette. Don’t
give her anything you can’t afford to lose once she’s gone.”