She was only dimly aware that the gorgeous brunette seemed to be talking with her escort and that they looked at her in question.  Eric wanted to race her off somewhere and she could not move.  She needed a few minutes to compose herself. 

Still caught in memory Tina remained frozen as she caught sight of her beloved in the crowd at the party that Joyce was throwing for Phyllis as a coming out gift.  It had been a decade since she was so overcome with emotion that she could not move.

“No, I’m going to stay here.”  She had told Eric and he hurried off. 

The brunette took a step closer and Tina could feel the heat of her body close to hers. Her body tingled again unnerving her.  

“Bette” an unfamiliar voice shattered the moment. “Bette, excuse me” the blonde glanced at Tina apologetically and leaned close to whisper into the brunette’s ear. Bette straightened and Tina felt sorry for whoever that dark look was meant for. 

Still her manners were impeccable.  She turned to the blonde, “Alice, this is Tina Kennard, Eric’s…girlfriend.”  There was a moment’s hesitation as she said it that made Tina’s ears perk up.  Then the moment was gone and she smoothly finished the introductions, “Alice Pieaseki.”  Bette excused herself off to deal with whatever news Alice had delivered.   

“So what do you do besides being Eric’s girlfriend?”  Alice asked brightly.

“I’m head of development at Alphavillie.”  Tina answered. She liked this brash woman. 

Alice nodded as if listening to some internal voice.  It was something that Tina would come in time to know and love about Alice, her intuitiveness.  “A woman of substance, we could use one of those around here.”

                                                               ****

Somehow Tina was in her arms and the world had righted itself.  As she settled in behind her Alice’s chatter pierced her awareness.  Something about a doctor, a date and sex.  Tina did not do casual sex.   They shifted and then she was facing Jodi as they entered the next stage of the exercise to tell the assailant “no”.

“You didn’t sleep with her on the first date.” Bette stated the repulsiveness of the idea clear in her tone.

“As a matter of fact I did” the hazel eyes sparkled with anger yet again at Bette’s presumptiveness.  She did not answer to Bette.  Bette was not her woman any longer.  She needed to back the fuck off, Tina fumed.  She actually felt a twinge of guilt and that pissed her off even more.

“No.” Bette shouted on cue delivering a solid punch to Jodi’s gloves shocking her.

“What the fuck?” Jodi voiced.  She struggled to remember the thread of conversation before Bette lashed out.  Bette had just declared that Tina had not slept with someone on the first date.  Those were the words but her deafness made her more attuned to the other forms of communication that others, hearing people, were so often unaware of.  Looking at Bette carefully, she realized with a shock that Bette was still in love with Tina.

Bette was still in love with Tina.  

It explained so much between them.  She was thrilled when Bette came for her declaring loudly how much she wanted her.  She threw her usual caution to the wind when it came to emotional entanglements.  She normally didn’t do them preferring the cleanness of brief intense encounters.  There was never any talk of love or tomorrow.

Just asking Bette not to break her heart was monumental for her.

She did not risk her heart. 

She found herself falling for the brunette against her will.    

“Just playing.” Bette voiced and signed back.  Her mind was in a whirl.  Bette had uncanny insight and good judgment Jodi had noted early on.  When it came to Tina she was a mess.  It would have been cute if she weren’t invested in a different outcome. She idly wondered how much longer she would enjoy the pleasure of her touch.