Even after Shane had found out about Bette and Tina hooking up a few weekends out of the month and she’d been warned to find a new release elsewhere, Bette continued their dalliances despite the threat of termination. Not only because it was salacious to go against authority but because she and Tina couldn’t stop what was developing between them.

Tina thought about the realization she walked into when it finally dawned on her that she was in love with Bette. For two weeks straight she wanted to plan a really fun weekend for them, something that they’d never done before. Everything she had in mind was raunchy, in her mind’s eye she’d already had Bette begging under her. Her thoughts were in a constant state of flux, between seeing Bette riding her hips, and seeing her contorted around her bedroom.

The strangest vision played in her mind, it was always Bette tip toeing in her house, trying her best not to disturb Tina, failing miserably when Bette would sit on the edge of her bed and kiss her earlobe before she left. Sometimes Tina would wake up just to kiss her back and sometimes she would pretend to be asleep just to preserve the moment. Tina would imagine the slow and tiny steps Bette took down her hallway trying so hard to be quiet, holding her keys extra tight in one hand her heels in the other, it was adorable. Love or whatever it was, was residing in Tina’s home and seemed to brighten her up anytime Bette stepped near her. She couldn’t recognize it at first but later on she realized that she’d fallen in love with Bette and trusted her with the smaller jagged parts of herself.

…………………………………………………….

Bette got called into Shane’s office early that morning. She knew this was about the meeting yesterday that Tina blew off with her. Tina was supposed to meet with Shane late in the afternoon yesterday, she’d already rescheduled this same meeting four times, each time Tina didn’t call, send a message through Bette or even text Shane with an excuse, even a lie would be on some level considerate of Shane’s time.

“Look what I got today.” Shane tossed a thick manila envelope into Bette’s lap once she sat down. The broad flawless handwriting was obviously Tina’s.

“What is this?” it was heavy. When she opened it she pulled out Tina’s book the title was written in Russian in big, bold letters that ran the length of the page corner to corner. That wasn’t what was important to Bette, what she really needed to know was tucked behind this cover page. She was so apprehensive to turn the page, she hesitated to even touch it. Shane saw the reluctance in Bette hands as she pinched the cover sheet and peeled it back slow, she read the first words that were purely Tina.

“I dedicate this book to the women in my life who’ve loved me despite what I am.” It was written in Russian. The wording was eerie, it was nearly verbatim what her father had written in his final note to the world. A haggard breath escaped Bette’s lips and she immediately covered her mouth, her mind raced to the worst thought imaginable.

“We’re having dinner next Friday, she called me last night.”

“Ohh.” Bette nearly cried as she breathed out. Bette bent over to rub her forehead and she couldn’t catch the heavy tear that rushed down her face, she was petrified that this was the last bit of communication from Tina that she was ever going to get.

“She refused to meet with me until you’ve read the book, and agreed to meet with her before we have a sit down on Friday.”

“What?” Bette didn’t really hear the last part, she was gripping the book so tight the skin under her nails began to throb. Her leg began to shake and she looked at Shane completely confused.

“Crack open that book and meet with her.” Shane said squeezing Bette’s shoulders.

“You haven’t read it?”

“I see you skipped over the little post-it stuck to the corner.”

Bette threw the first page again and saw it for the first time, it read. “Bette first.”

TBC……………………………