“Cheers.” Tina said.

“Cheers…” Bette’s voice was a mere whisper. She raised her glass to Tina’s, lost in the hazel eyes that were drinking in Bette along with her bourbon.

Forgetting how to swallow, Bette started coughing with her first sip. The liquor burned in her throat, her eyes tearing in response. She turned, putting her back to the bar as she tried to stifle the sounds among the crowd.

“You ok?” Tina moved in front of Bette.

“Yea, wrong pipe.” Bette laughed not knowing what the hell was happening.

“Wait, let me get you a napkin.” Tina leaned aside Bette, over her shoulder, against her just enough to push Bette’s back more into the counter as people swarmed around them on either side. Bette felt Tina’s cheek brush hers, fighting the urge to dip her chin into the shorter woman’s neck, enticed by her sweet scent.

“Here you go.” Tina held a few cocktail napkins between their faces.

Bette could only smile as she took one.

“I’m going back to the girls. Are you coming to sit down?” Bette noticed Tina’s enticing shoulder shrug with her question.

Bette nodded quickly. “After I say hi to Phyllis.”

“Ok.”

Bette bit the inside of her mouth staring at Tina’s ass, enjoying her saunter back to the table until Alice caught her eye and started shaking her head at her.

What the fuck just happened?”

Tina waded through the pool, her knees a bit shaky as she fought the urge to follow Bette in to the house, put Angie to bed, and then take Bette back to what was once their bedroom and make her hers again. Stealing little touches of the electrifying skin and sneaking long glances at the beautiful brunette had made Tina feel a bit insane lately. It didn’t surprise her that they could still generate white heat from the slightest glint, but Tina knew she had irrevocably hurt Bette when she left her, and she felt she didn’t have a right to wanting her back. And yet she did. There was always a glimmer of something between them. Hope, love, lust, anger. All fiery emotions that never let what they had together extinguish. Tina had been secretly crushed when Alice told her that night at The Planet that Bette and Jodi were reconciling.