“So is that what you and Bette like?,” George asked, picking up on Logan’s teasing tone.

Bette cut in, eyes still shut also, as she sought to rescue her wife from the teasing. “Actually, we’re liking a variation on the “Pretzel” right now.”

Luke crinkled his eyebrows, not following parts of the conversation.

“I have no idea what that is either,” Lara said kindly, tapping his forearm.

Everyone chuckled, each retiring to their own visions of what Bette may have been referring to.

After a few minutes, Logan asked the group, “How can you tell if your partner is totally into you, and you alone?”

“That is a good question!, Alice exclaimed, poking her finger at Dana’s arm, adjusting her seating position so that she could look squarely at Dana, with whom she was sharing one of the bigger plump cushions.

Dana raised her eyebrows questioning Alice silently.

“Well, Logan,” Shane responded slowly, “That depends…”

“Yeah…there are several factors,” George added. “And it matters if your partner and you share many other things besides, you know, the obvious.”

“Uh-huh,” Helena nodded, as she reached for the cognac bottle.  Bette waved to her to gesture that Helena should go ahead and pour another serving for herself, and for anyone else who wanted one, answering the unspoken question.  Helena continued, “Take for example Bette and Tina here…”

“That much, I agree Helena,” Logan cut in.  Then he asked in a teasing tone, “Who here knows Bette’s tell?”

“I do!,” everybody answered him enthusiastically, raising their hands, as if in school, begging to be pointed to by the teacher to answer the question.

Bette opened her eyes in surprise. What in the world is everybody so excited about?  Her tell?  She scoffed mentally, I don’t have a “tell.”  Everybody knew that she loved Tina, that was all.  That’s not a tell, is it?

But even Tina was laughing lightly, as everybody continued to hold their arms up, waiting for Logan to call on one of them.

Bette turned to look up the blonde, “What in the world are they saying, baby?”

“Tina, please can I tell her?,” Logan sat up suddenly, eyes beseeching Tina.

Tina chuckled even louder, knowing that Logan was itching to tease Bette about it.  She shook her head, “No, you can’t.”