“I felt nothing” Tina denied hotly, mortified to realize that scalding tears were flooding her eyes.

A stricken look appeared on -Bette’s face. “Don’t cry”, Bette pleaded . The last thing I want is to make you cry. She crush Tina against her chest and stroked her back soothingly. “I’ve acted high_handedly. I admit it, but only because I didn’t know any other way to get your attention. Please don’t cry, Tina.”

She tilted Tina’s face up to hers. Her lips molded onto Tina’s. Her tongue invaded the sweet interior of Tina’s mouth even as her body moved suggestively against hers.

“Why did you wait three years?” T ina asked shakily, but Tina wasn’t interested in the answer. Beyond conscious thought,responding purely out of physical and emotional need, she arched against Bette , fitting her hips between Bette’s thighs. The contact was exquisite and breathtaking,and their soft gasps of pleasure and pain harmonized. Their hungry mouths refused to be denied as the kiss mellowed to a controlled violence. Bette’s arms wrapped around Tina like bands of steel. -Tina’s hands disarranged the soft cloth of Bette’s top as she caressed her back .

They were so lost within their embrace that when the voice boomed out at them from the overhead speakers, they separated in startled disbelief.. -Tina stared at Bette with wide,unblinking eyes as her chest heaved rapidly.

“Will that be all, Miss Porter ?” the projectionist asked again,apparently unaware of what he’d interrupted.

Tina looked blindly at the blank screen. The commercials had finished. She covered her tingling lips with a shaky hand.

In extreme exasperation, Bette raked her fingers through her hair. “yes. Thank you Steve”

The microphone clicked off and they were left alone in the dark, silent room. “Tina___”

“No,” Tina said breathlessly, backing away from Bette. I don’t know what . . . what happens to me when you’re . . . I can’t do this Bette. . . I have a husband” . She pivoted on her heels, grabbed up her purse and groped her way through the door.

“Tina!”, Bette shouted from behind her. But the sound reverberated off the walls. Tina was already gone.

“Fuck you Steve” Bette shouted to the empty room. “You have the worst fucking timing” When her phone rang she pulled it from her pocket and answered without checking the caller ID. “What?” She bellowed into the phone.

“Dammit Porter, I love you too”

“Not now Alice” Alice was Bette’s best friend, and she was the writer for a gossip magazine in West Hollywood. Most days Bette welcomed the distraction Alice provided, going on and on about other people’s business,but right now Bette was in no mood to chit chat.

“Jesus Porter, calm down ,I was only calling to invite you to dinner”

“Not tonight Alice”

Even if I have info that would interest__ …” but the line went dead.

                                                           ***********

When Tina got home the house was empty. Henry must be at the apartment writing, she told herself. She didn’t even bother to turn on the lights. She kept telling herself that she hated Bette. She even tried to justify why. Ever since that night they’d met, she had never been able to banish Bette from her mind. Tenaciously she remained. And she wouldn’t be exiled now.

She was married to a wonderful man, a man who loved and adored her, a man she had promised to love and cherish. A man she had promised to spend the rest of her life with____but every time she thought about the rest of her life it was not with her husband, but with a beautiful brunette.__ God help her, she was in so much trouble.___ I love my husband, but I’m not in love with him Tina whispered into the dark as she sank to the floor and wept.___

TBC.

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