“Owww.” Bette wailed, as Tina caught her face with her nails.

“Get off!” Bette was still laughing.

Splashing away from her, breathless and her heart hammering, she managed to stand upright in the shallow end of the pool, only to find Bette’s hand on her ankle, pulling her over again.

Tina kicked out her leg as she fell back in to the water catching Bette hard on the chin.

Totally submerged, she felt the water rush through her nostrils and down the back of her throat as she gulped it in to her windpipe by mistake. She could see a hand reaching out close to her face and she batted it away, kicking back with her legs to get as far away as possible. She burst out of the water, and made a lunge for the side of the pool, dragging herself out, spluttering as she fought for breath, laughing and gagging as she went. Then she turned back to the pool.

“You bast- oh, *****!”

Bette was lying face down in the water motionless.

“Oh *****!” Tina plunged back in the water, realising she must have knocked her out when she kicked her. She turned Bette over in the water and cupped her chin, towing her to the edge before heaving her out with her arms.

“Bette! Bette- can you hear me?” She called, hauling her in to the recovery position and prising her mouth open to check her airway. It was clear. She reached for her pulse, looking urgently around for any help.

Bette’s heart was beating hard and fast.

“Bette. Wake up!” She slapped her cheeks and rubbed her back encouraging Bette to cough.

That was when she realised Bette was faking. She knew that people on the verge of drowning didn’t open one eye when they thought you weren’t looking.

“Oh, Bette, don’t die.” Tina begged melodramatically, stroking her forehead. “You might be an unmitigated ***** with no morals but I would miss you.”

Bette started to splutter.

“That’s it! Live my darling,” she encouraged. “How else am I going to beat you to a pulp? I can’t do it if you’re dead.”

Bette spluttered some more, but kept her eyes shut.

“Bette if you think I’m going to give you the kiss of life, you can lie there faking it as long as you like.”

She spat out a shower of water and opened her eyes.

“Damn.”

“Feel better?” Tina asked sweetly.

“You really wouldn’t care if I died, would you?” Her chocolate eyes glittered.

“Not right now, no.”

Bette reached up and pulled Tina’s lips on to her own and gave her a scorching kiss, knocking the wind from her lungs.

Tina frowned of all the mistakes she had made in her life marrying Eric was probably the biggest.