"Eric Slate…three ‘o clock and headin’ this way…" Alice whispered, shielding her lips from Tina.

Bette tensed up even further and drew in a physically uplifting breath of air. 

Tina searched Bette’s eyes, her own hazel eyes loud with questions. 

She wondered if Alice was berating Bette for being so close to her…surely this woman was her girlfriend, and now Tina would be involved in some verbal altercation from this woman, demanding answers to unanswerable questions.

Bette instantly saw the path that Tina’s mind was taking.  She shook her head, gently smiling.

"No…no…it’s just…um, Eric.  I think he’s looking for you."  Bette didn’t mind needing to whisper into Tina’s ear to be heard.

The smell of Tina’s hair mixed with her purfume mixed with her own natural scent drove Bette wild.  She lingered in the crook of Tina’s neck a moment before drawing back to witness her response.

Tina, mystified with the closeness of Bette’s lips to her ear suddenly seemed to register what was said.  She looked from Bette to the spikey haired girl and back again. 

"Tina, this is my friend Alice…" Bette stated loud enough to be heard over the crowd.  She didn’t think she could smell Tina again without physically tasting her.  The temptation was too great.

Tina still couldn’t tell what the two women’s relationship was exactly.  She slightly scrunched her eyebrows and shook her head, implying that she did not hear correctly. 

"I’m sorry, did you say your girlfriend?" Tina asked, trying to appear confused.

Bette let out a laugh.  She was relieved to finally have a chance to clear the air.

"No, no.  Just friends.  Great friends."  Bette confessed, playfully tugging Alice’s arm.

Alice, not one to be left out of a conversation, especially a conversation involving her, stuck her hand out to find the blonde woman.  She had to speak in order to break the eye lock Bette and Tina had once again resumed.

"Hi…I’m Alice…." Alice began as Tina shook her head with embarrassment.

"I’m sorry…I’m Tina…Kennard.  It’s nice to meet you." Tina smiled as she happily shook Alice’s hand. 

The relief thatTina felt was unparralled to any she had ever experienced.  She was over the moon to learn that this was indeed not Bette’s girlfriend. 

"I’ve heard a lot about you…" Alice started, instantly kicking herself.

Tina’s eyes glided over to Bette’s, only to find the brunette mildly blushing. 

"Really…" Tina began, a smile forming as she kept her eyes locked to Bette’s.

Alice scrunched her nose and shrugged, attempting to refute her blunder.

"Yeah, you know…not that much…it’s just something you say…almost automatically, without thinking sometimes when you meet new people…" Alice was babbling at this point.

"Okay, Alice…" Bette quietly silenced her friend. 

Suddenly, Eric was upon them and stepped back in surprise to find Tina standing in front of him.

"Well, three beautiful ladies…how lucky am I??" Eric laughed as he breezed in for a quick peck on Tina’s lips.  Tina fought the urge to push Eric away. 

Bette’s mouth turned down as she looked into the crowd, releasing her eyes from the unbareable sight. 

"When did you get here…I thought you had that dinner meeting with Jack tonight…" Eric began, unenlightened to the awkwardness of the situation.

Tina straightened herself, preparing to white lie her way out of this. 

"No, canceled at the last minute…I tried to call you, but I was out of range for some reason…that phone is always giving me problems…" Tina replied, brushing her bangs from her forehead as she always did when she lied.  For some reason, in the two years that they had been together, Eric had not caught on to this undeniable sign.

He nodded understandingly. 

"Well, let’s go get you a drink then…" Eric smiled courteously at Bette and Alice as he grabbed Tina’s hand and began pulling her through the crowd.

Tina threw her head around, her eyes apologetic, but her face revealing profound disappointment. 

Bette met Tina’s disappointment with a promise mouthed and a carnal desire in her eye…

"I will find you…"

And with that, Tina’s face softened into relief and disappeared into the crowd….