Tina was on all fours with her hair sticking to her face, a piece of it in her mouth. She breathed down at Bette, imagining for a moment that Bette really lived with her. She imagined waking up every moment to Bette – especially on her hungrier mornings. “I … love your lips.” But she couldn’t get the nerve to ask her to move in. Instead, she smiled and traced her fingers over those enticing lips, and then down Bette’s body, between the muscular thighs. “… These ones.”

“Uhh,” Bette trembled, breathing with Tina. Always with her. “This weekend … tell me you’re coming to my art show.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Tina moaned back, “I can’t wait to see you in all your beautiful glory … to see what you’ve been working on so hard for the past few weeks. I’m so proud of you, baby.”

Bette just smiled in kind, knowing she had something to admit. She circled her hand over Tina’s back. “I uh … someone might be coming.”

Tina lifted her head. “What? Who? … Is it someone famous?”

“It’s someone rich, who’s a lesbian … who used to be your friend.” With the countered look on Tina’s face, Bette pulled her in close. “Please don’t hate me. I just need her to know I’m with you … that she can’t ever, ever have you.”

“I don’t flatter myself to think she’s still interested in me,” Tina chuckled, carefree for a moment in Bette’s arms. Thinking that maybe the idea wasn’t so bad.

“Say you’ll still come … please please? I really do want you to be there.”

Tina made herself comfortable there next to Bette, relaxing. “Of course I’ll be there. I can’t wait to see everything, Bette Porter style.”

“That’s not a style,” Bette laughed, kissing Tina’s neck, down to her shoulder.

“Try telling my libido that.”

“Hmm … and what is it saying right now?” she teased back, tracing her fingers over Tina’s hip. Just gently massaging under the waistband of her pyjamas. “Anything … in particular?”

“It’s saying don’t even think of going to work today.”

They laughed and laughed, made love once more, and then fell asleep for what little time they had left. Their exhaustion was mixed with happiness in its purest form – Tina on top of Bette. Her chest was pressed into the stronger, athletic back. She drifted off to the visually appealing contrast of her ivory skin to Bette’s beautifully darker complexion.

Bette was still slipping off to sleep when she realized her lover draped over her back, offering a simple smile to the darkness. How I love this woman …