Tina stammered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“T, don’t worry,”  Bette said quickly, with a smirk, ”It’s not like I haven’t kissed a girl before!”

Tina gave her a playful punch. Inside she was wondering what had come over her?

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(Scene shifts to Paris, four days after the scene in Bette’s house.)

Four days later, they found themselves in Paris, enjoying a sunny day, relaxing in the peaceful gardens behind the Notre Dame.  The glace’ from Berthillon café was as advertised, Tina thought.  Bette was still absent-mindedly holding her hand, as they both licked on their cones, occasionally looking at the other and smiling.  A gentle breeze was blowing from the river, causing newly-planted flowers to bend, and the leaves of trees overhead to flutter.  Tourist season hadn’t begun as yet; the incessant rains over the past week were probably also discouraging those who had made plans to start their Paris vacation early. So there was a relatively sparse late morning crowd, and Bette and Tina had the garden to themselves, for the most part.  Bette thought, as she bent her neck to relax it against the back of the bench they were sitting on, then stretched her legs , “I have never been this relaxed in years.”  She inhaled a lungful of air, then slowly let the air out, shutting her eyes, and allowed her senses to open up, taking in the murmur of the river flowing on the left, the scent of flowers, and the feel of a cool breeze on her skin.  Her senses picked up the soft feel of Tina’s hand, and the blonde’s intoxicating perfume, that seemed just a pleasant note above the scent of the flowers in the garden.

Eyes still shuttered, Bette murmured, “I just realized that we haven’t spent a night apart since “family night.” 

Tina was polishing  off her mint and chocolate glace, crunching through the last few bites of the cone.  She eyed Bette’s cone; the brunette was still a long way from finishing her cone, and seemed to be taking her own sweet time with her ice cream.

She decided to sit back like Bette was, snuggling into her warm frame.  Bette absent-mindedly lifted her arm, which allowed the blonde to scoot closer to her, to rest her head on the “nook” formed in the space below her collarbone, and above her chest.  She shut her eyes also, and let her arm fall across Tina, who was enjoying the warm embrace.

Tina corrected the brunette, eyes shut also, “well, actually it’s been since the night in the gallery.”

“Yeah! You’re right!,” Bette opened her eyes lazily, nodding her head.

Tina had spent the night at Bette’s again, after helping her clean-up after ”family night.”  Tina was a hit with the close-knit group, and especially with Bette’s sister.  But, from time to time, once Tina was outside of hearing range, Bette’s friends  would give her a hard time about having the sexy and beautiful blonde around, teasing Bette endlessly about all the straight girls who either hit on Bette before, or Bette had ”flipped.”  They wondered aloud about how long the brunette’s protests of  “I’m helping her out… She’s different…I’m giving her time and space…” would hold out.

The next day, Tina’ studio called early in the morning, and when Tina mentioned Bette’s invitation to join her on the test flight to Paris the following day, the studio all but pushed Tina to take the beautiful woman up on it.  “Go on Tina, have a good time over there.  You need a break, and we all know how much you enjoyed going to Paris last fall.”

Days later, here they were, enjoying ice cream in the peaceful garden of the Notre Dame.