Chapter 5

Paperwork on the gallery was processed incredibly fast. By the middle of the following week seeing the space, movers and design crews, assistants and staff were already moving in. Hers was the first desk moved into the facility, and as work crews hammered and painted and moved fixtures around outside of her office, Bette remained locked in her office ironing out all the details for her grand opening. Or at least that’s what she would have been doing if her mind hadn’t been focused on Alice for the past week.

Bette wasn’t afraid of commitment. However, it was in her head that she didn’t have time for the kind of commitment Alice wanted. Alice made it obvious she was looking for something a little more serious than what they currently had, which served to make Bette a little uneasy. Again, not because she was afraid of commitment, but because she believed she didn’t have the time to devote to this woman and deep down she really was starting to care for her.

These were the thoughts running through Bette’s head when, through the noise and commotion from outside, a knock came to the door.

“Come in,” she said, pretending to look like she had been working as hard as the guys outside her office.

“Hey, Ms. Art Lady. You’re not working too hard around here I hope.” Bette looked up and found a smiling Alice wearing a curiously long trench coat.

“Hey Alice, shouldn’t you be at work?”

“I am. I’m working from home today, just thought I’d drop by and give my beautiful girlfriend a visit. I missed you.” Alice smiled, closing and locking the office door behind her before sauntering over to Bette.

“You just saw me this morning.” Despite the work she needed to get done, Bette was rather enjoying this interaction. She had been alone so long, it was nice to belong, even if it did get a bit smothering.

Alice walked around the desk, and sat on the edge in front of Bette, preventing her from getting back to work. “Yeah, I know,” Alice said, crossing her legs in front of her seductively. “But, I was just hoping I could help take your mind off things here. You’ve been working so hard. Besides,” she added seductively, leaning in closer to Bette’s face, “I believe I owe you something.” She closed the distance between them laying a very soft, somewhat chaste kiss on Bette’s beautiful, full lips. There’s was just enough unrequited passion that left Bette literally moaning for more.