Tina sat with great difficulty to listen to the professor’s lecture, but it was so difficult to pretend as if Bette was only a teacher to her. She always sat near the front, but it was quickly becoming an issue. She could almost taste Bette’s kiss again – could almost feel her soft lower back and the way Bette trembled with weakness and strength all at once.

She almost didn’t notice when everyone else started to pack up their books to leave. After clearing her throat and getting up from her seat, she started with the same. And as desperately as she wanted to stop by and speak with Bette alone, she knew that was a terrible idea, so she brought her purse up on her shoulder and tried to be strong.

“Tina?”

That voice could stop her heart. She closed her eyes and then opened them again to an emptying class of university students. She didn’t know if she could respond, but she slowly turned in her spot.

“Can I speak with you for a moment?”

Tina nodded as she started her way down the steps, distracted when a friend of hers ran past her. “Hey – be at Max’s for ten on Saturday, k?” The girl was gone before Tina could even respond, so she just slowly made her way down to Bette, hoping that her feet would keep her steady, and that she wouldn’t fall.

When Tina stood beside the lecture stand, she slowly brought her eyes up to listen to what Bette had to say.

“Are you alright?”

“Hey, I will have you know that I took wonderful notes.”

“You just … looked a little distracted,” Bette started, putting away her own examples and resources. “More so than usual.”

Tina looked back to see that the last of the students were clearing out, and that she wouldn’t be heard by anyone else. “I wonder why.”

When Bette turned up to her, she saw that Tina was smiling, so she smiled back. She tried to hide it as she leaned onto her desk and crossed her arms to look as inviting as she could, but it had the opposite effect. “Tina, I’d really like to talk about last weekend.”

“Now?” Tina wondered, checking around again to see that the room was, in fact, emptied. “I mean … just talk. That’s all.”