“Yes, but those I am sure of.” Bette laughed pleased with the easy banter between them. “The other choices are much less dramatic and much less expensive. That dress just called to me even though it seems over the top.”

            “It is over the top Bette and it is so you. Thank you for letting me buy it for you. I look forward to seeing it on you in person. I just hope I can survive that experience.”  Tina chuckled. 

            “It’s not that hot T.”

            “It’s hotter.”  Tina declared emphatically.

            Tina took a deep breath.  It was all she could do at the moment.  God that dress was hot.  She was convinced at a few brain cells had been seared as the memory of the image of Bette in that dress flooded her mind.  Her level of sexual frustration was at an all time high.  She needed release and yet there was only one person who had ever truly satisfied her. 

            Actually that wasn’t true.  Tina was a sexual woman and both Helena and Henry had satisfied her.  She was able to gently direct all of her sexual partners to bring her to orgasm.  It was only with Bette that her gentle direction was not needed and totally ignored.  From the very first time that they had made love Tina learned the meaning of the word insatiable and unquenchable.  Neither of them could get enough of the other it was one mind-blowing orgasm after another. 

            There was never a time that Tina could remember that once they began making love that they were not capable of stoking the fire just a little bit higher no matter how high they climbed or how intense they loved each other.  They were always in need of more. 

            Tina understood that she could fuck Kate or fuck herself and it would do little to nothing to stop the ache that Bette had so effortlessly created.  The ache had been there since the last time they made love.  Tina had become a master at controlling it.  Every now and then she could not ignore it but any amount of time in Bette’s company brought it painfully to awareness. 

            It was part of the reason she had been so nasty to Bette for so long.  There were times that if she hadn’t picked a fight she would have begged Bette to just take her there and then.  Her physical need for Bette was so strong that she did not trust herself.  She was thankful that Bette did not appear to have a clue about this weakness for her.  She often marveled about how Bette could be so smart about so many things and so clueless when it came to her heart. 

            Bette was free.  Tina was still processing that information.  She wasn’t sure what to do.  Wait a minute.  Bette had said that her heart wasn’t available; she thought it was but it wasn’t.  The chemistry between Bette and Jodi was off the charts.  Had she shut down that vulnerable part of herself again?  Or was there someone else?  No there was no indication that Bette’s attention was elsewhere.  But then again would she know that?  When she had her affair with Candace Tina would have sworn that as rocky as things were that her attention was with her. 

            Perhaps not, hindsight is 20/20 for sure.  They were coming apart at the seams then she just wasn’t in any state of mind to see it.  She took it for granted that no matter how rough things got what was between them was untouchable.  She would not make that mistake again if given another chance.

            The kiss that Bette gave her on the way out the door to the airport was more than innocent.  It rocked her to her core and through the haze she saw that Bette hesitated and was ready to kiss her even more thoroughly before she caught herself and turned away. 

            I was a fool to ever let you go, Bette Porter.  I won’t let you turn away again.  Tina began to count the hours until Bette’s return.