‘You won’t believe who’s here.’ She said through her grin.

Bette stared but when it became clear that she wasn’t going to get a definitive answer without actually looking herself, she allowed her eyes to scan over the tables. Within seconds, her eyes found her. Her breath caught and caused a flutter in her chest as she didn’t even try to suppress her smile as their eye contact blocked out everyone else in the room.

‘T’ she whispered.

****

 ‘Tina… Tina… Oh for god’s sake. TINA!’ Helena shouted as she desperately tried to drag Tina’s eyes back to the table and away from Bette’s gaze. They seemed lost to everyone but themselves.

‘What?’ Tina replied as she begrudgingly dragged her eyes from Bette to meet Helena’s amused face.

‘I thought you weren’t meeting her until later?’

‘Oh, so I planned this?’ Tina huffed as she self-consciously smoothed down her top and sat up a little straighter. She could feel Bette’s eyes on her as she desperately avoided looking back and becoming lost in them.

‘I’m not saying you planned this, but, what are you going to do now it’s happened, short of staring at her like a love-sick puppy!’ Helena laughed.

‘Fuck off Helena!’ Tina chuckled back. ‘But… we do need more coffee’ She winked at Helena as she stood up and headed off to replenish their supplies. Luckily it just happens to be in Bette’s direction.

****

‘Fuck me Bette, could you stare more?’ Alice leaned close to Bette as she tried to break the impenetrable stare happening between Bette and Tina. Looking between them both, she was amazed at the intensity of emotion that seemed to be passing through them, across a room no less.

‘What?’ Bette answered, not moving her eyes from Tina. She could feel herself getting lost in the hazel orbs again. Drowning and without a care for coming up for air. She seemed to take in a breath when Tina broke the stare and looked towards the woman she was sat with. Bette had met her a couple of times before, introduced by Tina. Bette had admitted to herself on many an occasion that she found it hard to focus, at times, on exactly what Tina was saying so couldn’t quite recall the woman’s name. She turned and looked at Alice who had been staring at her the whole time. As soon as she and Alice made eye contact, Alice turned away with a sigh.