Previously:

    Bette extended a shaking finger and pushed some
curls away from Tina’s ear. She inhaled deeply, then leaned even
closer. Putting her mouth so close to Tina’s ear that she felt the soft
curve brush against her lips, she smiled wickedly and whispered,

    “I really, really like what I see,” she paused to
check if Tina had awakened. Then she continued, “Please, for the love
of God! Show me more.”

    Grinning like a kid who’d gotten away with
shoplifting candy from the store, she straightened up. With a giddy
sway to her step, she walked to her bedroom and got into bed. Five
minutes later, she was peacefully asleep.

    Out on the couch, Tina’s eyes opened and the twinkle in them was unmistakable.

    “Oh I will, Bette,” She purred softly, “You bet your
sweet sober *****, I most definitely will.” With a final determined
smile, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

    “You can’t skip breakfast! It’s the most
important… Anyway, I could have Dana bring us something. Yes, that’s
it. I’ll just have to reach her before she goes out for her morning
run.” Bette walked briskly to the phone but Tina intercepted. She
stepped in front of Bette and poured all of her charm into one
heart-stopping smile. Bette skidded to a halt inches from Tina’s
towel-clad body.

    “Thanks for letting me use your shower.”

    “Certainly. It’s the least I could do, after I…
well, I’m sorry again about last night.” Bette was barely breathing,
unwilling to step back but afraid to breathe in Tina’s heady
after-shower scent.

*****

    When Bette woke up that morning, she felt like the
sun had chosen to shine its gentlest light in her bedroom. She felt
enveloped in lambent heat, stroked by the slant of daylight that crept
in from a part in the curtains. She’d stretched and yawned, as relaxed
as she’d ever felt, and couldn’t stop a tiny smile from blooming. She
slipped a hand under her pillow and remembered the same hand caressing
Tina’s back. She let out an involuntary sigh.

    Tina! Oh God she’s still out there. Bette was
suddenly doused with anxiety. What does one do in a situation like
this? Bette sat up and swung both legs off the bed, and put her head on
hands. Think, Bette. You were drunk last night and instead of going out
to have fun or whatever it was that could be had at night with a
beautiful woman, you stayed home with said beautiful woman and
assaulted her ears with your crazy talk. If that wasn’t bad enough, you
fell asleep on her! And nearly molested her in the middle of the night
while she was unconscious! God, Bette! Could you be more of a lowlife
creep?!