If she was, at this point, being honest with herself, she had to admit that in a way she was envious of Candace. Tina could easily remember back to when she was the new thing in Bette Porter’s life, and how that had made her feel.

When things began for the two of them it was messy, in some ways. There was Eric, after all. He was not one to lose, whether it be a case or a girlfriend. The fact that his girlfriend was lost to another woman made things even more difficult for him to handle.

Difficult, but that wasn’t going to change things. From the first moment they had met, Tina had felt a connection to Bette. The first look into those deep, brown eyes and she knew that she had to know this woman better. After that first, unexpected kiss, she knew that her heart had found its match.

Maybe the idea of first, last, and forever was too much for either of them to sustain. Perhaps it was inevitable that Bette would reject her.

When they had met, after the return of her earring, Tina taxed her thoughts on how to again see Bette, without making it so obvious that she was there to see Bette.

Fortunately for her, though, Bette had no such reservations on making things look accidental. Instead, she managed a full-on assault that included flowers, phone calls, and, finally, a handwritten invitation to dine.

It had taken Tina almost an hour to decide what to wear, finally setting on a black cocktail dress. Always a safe choice. Pearls completed a safe, classic look. And she had almost made it out of the house before Eric came home. Their eyes met, but neither spoke. Enough had been said already, and the end was a foregone conclusion.

When she arrived at the restaurant, Bette was there, waiting, looking absolutely beautiful in a white suit, tailored to accentuate her femininity. The smile that greeted Tina made the thought of her encounter with Eric fade like a bad dream.

Dinner had been a blur. She remembered something about appetizers, but sometime after their entrees appeared, anything outside of the two of them faded into a blur. About halfway through the meal Tina realized she had been unconsciously leaning closer and closer to Bette. The two were seated next to, not across, from each other. Finally, their hands met on the table.