“Well,” Bette sighed, trying to keep her thoughts together. “Yes – okay. You were right.” She felt shy at the confession.

“What happened?”

“Nothing happened. I simply told her I wasn’t ready.”

“Well, that’s not a lie.”

Bette let out a big sigh. “No … it’s not.” Wishing to lighten the depressing tone ringing through her mind, she gently teased. “So … what are you doing with your friends on Saturday? Anything explicitly sexual?”

“I’m pretty sure you’re thinking of porn.”

Bette was glad for her own laughter, smiling into the phone at Tina’s ability to give her such momentary ease. “What?”

“That a whole bunch of college girls get together, and they magically decide that having sex would be totally awesome. I mean, why didn’t we think of that before?”

Bette smirked and leaned back further to try and relax her aching back. “Oh, that’s not what happens?” She loved the sound of Tina’s voice, even over the phone.

“You were a college student at one time, too!” Tina laughed, leaping onto her bed with the excitement of their conversation. “But I guess that was probably your experience, seeing that you look the way you do.”

“No no, don’t let appearances misguide you,” Bette insisted, shifting to lay on her side. “I wasn’t popular by any stretch. I was just a typical student. I only warrant more attention now because I’m lecturing in front of a class for about a hundred students at any one time.” She’d never thought of herself as beautiful, like her many past admirers would have her believe.

“Don’t give me that,” Tina moaned, biting her lip at the thought of Bette lecturing to only her, explaining what she liked in bed. The thought distracted her so much that she missed what Bette said next. “Wait … what?”

“I said that you’re a sweet girl, Tina.”

“I’ll have you know I’m a woman.”

Bette smiled and nodded to herself, realizing the term must have appeared to be condescending. “My apologies. You are a woman.”

After a few moments of silence, Tina bit her lip. “Meet me somewhere.”

“I can’t. Tina … we need to be friends. I was serious about that. The couch … it was … well …” She didn’t want to say call it a mistake, but she wondered what she felt about it still. She had lost herself somewhat.