Alice, sat at Danas kitchen, picking from the croissants plate noticed Danas silence.

“So tell me, god tell me, why are you so quiet now?” She asked.

“Am not, is just…I was just thinking…” Dana said with a hand on her lower belly, trying not to stretch her upper body too much, while pacing the room up and down.

“Thinking? Thinking about what?…and stop pacing please! You are gonna make a path in the middle of your kitchen!”

“I…I ..you sure this is what you want?” Dana said waving the air, pointing at them but just vaguely, the words almost a whispered, the look in her eyes a plead.

“This?” Alice asked pretending not to know what Dana was talking about, but then, noticing the look, the anguish look in Danas eyes, she added, “Thats whats keeping you worrying?…Dane…Dane!… you can eat the meat before killing the cow..!” Alice added talking Danas hand, theatrically rolling her eyes as if the topic was banal.

Leading her back to the couch in the sunny living room, she said,

“Lets not think about it, ok?”

Nodding not very convincing, Dana sat at Alices side.

“So, the Masters is out then?…am sorry…when are you going back to practice?” Alice asked taking a magazine from the table, trying to change the topic

“Tomorrow…” Dana mumbled still thinking about Alices words.

“Cow? What do you mean cow?…I..” she shyly added.

Looking up from the magazine, noticing the confused look on Danas face, Alice smiled.

“Dont worry about the cow now…not yet…lets see how this…(pointing to the both of them)…us…how we are, ok?…so far we havent ruin anything, right?” she said caressing Danas arm.

Alice was trying to calm Danas nerves as well as her own. She was scared too, she wanted to kiss her, to hug her, wanted to rip her clothes off and…she couldnt even voice the words in her mind…all of a sudden they were back in “friends” state and she didnt know how to move forward, how to take the bus to the next phase. Nodding, getting anxious, she stood up.

“Ive to go now…work duty…you want anything?… need anything?”

“No, am fine” Dana said shaking her head, surprised by Alices sudden departure.

“Ok, cool…will see you later, ok?” Alice said walking to the door, then, suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and turning around she walked back to Danas side. Clumsily, she leaned down kissing her briefly on the lips.

“Ok…am gone…bye…” she awkwardly said before closing the door behind her.

Jumping into her mini she waited on her cell.

“Shane, come on!…come on…answer the damn phone…hey! Shane?…yeah is me…no, no…yes she I ok…no this is serious…no I told you Dane is ok…is me…I…I have serious problems…this is serious?…what? … no, am not working today…yeah…ok..yeah ok…am on my way…see you”

***

Tina opened her eyes knowing that Bette was looking at her. Feeling her stare made her heart jump full of joy. Shyly smiling she moved her hand to touch Bettes arm. So big was her need to touch her, to feel her.

“Morning” Bette mumbled, slowly leaning down to kiss Tina.

“Morning” Tina whispered, unable to stop the smile on her face.

Smiling like fools they quietly looked at each other for a few minutes while their hands were searching for each other. Caressing Tinas collarbone, Bette sensually whispered,

“Did you sleep well?”

Nodding, unable to find the words to express her happiness, Tina moved her lips towards Bettes. Kissing her she noticed the need, the urge, the hunger her body was feeling.

“I love you” she whispered.

Nodding, feeling as if the smile on her face was going to fall off, Bette said, her face blushing, needing to hide it on Tinas neck.

“So you said yesterday” she mumbled.

Caressing Bettes bare back, Tina whispered, the words coming out slowly, caressing every inch of Bettes heart.

“I know…and am saying it again…I love you”

Smiling, Bette kissed Tinas neck all the way up to her lips.


***

“Im telling you, this is serious” Alice said while waving to the waitress. The sun was shinning, it was a hot day and the terrace was crowded. Sitting down she noticed the look on Shanes face.

“You ok?… did you cut your hair?” she asked pointing to Shanes face.

“No” mumbled Shane shaking it.

“Are you sure?…something is different” Alice said leaning forwards, taking a better look.

“Al, I didnt cut my hair, ok?” Shane said, leaning back, lighting a cigarette.

“Ok, whats the problem?” she added, taking her sunglasses off to smile at the cute waitress that was staring at her while handing Alice her coffee.

“Problem?” Alice asked noticing Shanes flirting.

“Al!…problem? Your problem…you called me”

“Eh?… Oh yeah…sure…is Dana…and me…is…us! You see…this is serious… we are in…”Friendsville”… again, we are happy, is easy, is common land, we know where we are, we know each other secrets…but then is not really like that anymore…we are there but then,…is not easy, we are tense, shy…I can tell….we both want to be in “Lovers town”…I…I cant look at her…one minute I see Dane, clumsy nave sweet Dana and the next, I see this incredible ***** woman with the most amazingly beautiful arms Ive ever seen…”

“Yeah, she has great arms…” Shane whispered nodding in agreement.

“Hey!…(noticing the apologetic shrugging), ok…see…this is exactly what I mean…I dont know what to do…she is Dana for god sake!”

Nodding, quietly drinking her coffee, Shane put her glasses back on while thinking about it for a long minute before saying.

“Exactly”

“Exactly?, thats all you gonna say? Are you out of your mind?, what… exactly?” Alice asked, starting to lose her temper.

Waiting for Alice to calm down, nonchalantly, Shane added,

“She is Dana, friend or lover…she is Dana…think about it…you know her…just do what you know you have to do…”

Listening to her friend, Alice suddenly realized what Shane was saying. Feeling as if all the clouds in the sky were vanishing, she smiled.

“Exactly” she mumbled getting lost in her own thoughts.

Just then, while looking at Alice, Shanes cell vibrated. Checking the caller Id she smiled. Standing up, she walked towards the corner of the streets, trying to find some privacy.

“Hey” she sensually said unable to hide the wide smile growing on her face.


***

With her head on Bettes belly, looking at the ceiling, playing with Bettes hand in hers, linking their fingers, Tina said.

“So, when will I meet your sister?”

Caressing Tinas forehead with her free hand, playing with her curly blonde hair, Bette lazily said,

“I dont know…I think she is coming back at the end of the month”

“How is she? …Is she like you?” Tina asked turning to look at Bette.

Chuckling by the irony, nodding, Bette said,

“No…she is nothing like me…she..I dont know…She is a musician, she is…I dont know…a free spirit I guess…Alice likes her, Shane and Dana too”

Nodding, noticing the wrinkles on Bettes eyes as she answered, how she narrowed them every time she was lost in her thoughts, Tina smiled. Putting her arm on Bettes belly, Tina rested her chin. She looked at Bette quietly for a few minutes before shyly saying.

“So, when do you want this to happen?”

“This?, whats..”this”?” Bette asked, her words were just flying around as she was getting lost in Tinas face, not really listening to what she was saying.

“This…the moving..I..I mean..maybe you…maybe you need time or…”

Realizing what Tina was saying, Bette moved a little, locking her eyes with Tinas.

“You havent change your mind, have you?” she asked, the words showing the fear that was cooling her senses.

“No, of course not” Tina said, sitting on the bed. Loving the look on Bettes face, her sweet wistful eyes, usually hid behind the steel look, Tina removed a lock of hair from Bettes face, putting it behind the ear.

“I…I was just thinking, wondering when you want this to be…I mean…I dont know when do you have time..or…”

Moving her legs around Tinas waist, sitting in front of her, with their naked bodies looking at each other, Bette caressed Tinas bare arm.

“Ill take a couple of days off next week and will help you, ok?…unless you prefer that I move to your place..I dont mind if thats what you want”

Nodding, Tina shut the giggle that was growing on her throat.

“You nuts?…My apartment is tiny, I love your house…is so you…”

Nodding, leaning forwards, Bette rubbed her nose against Tinas.

“Is cold I know…but you will make it warm” she mumbled in between sweet tiny kisses on Tinas chin.

Feeling her knees weakening by Bettes proximity, by her kisses, Tina moved even closer, tightening Bettes grip around her waist. Loving the fact that they were both so relax, noticing the easiness, the rightness of the moment, how good she felt, Tina placed her arms around Bette, her hands on her back, getting lost in her collarbone, she mumbled in between kisses,

“I cant wait for this to begin…”.

“This?…this is it… it has begun…this is us…” Bette added before taking Tinas face in her hands.

Kissing Tina, Bette thought about the words she pronounced without even thinking about them. It was true. That was it. She always thought, dreamt, during some of her never told or accepted lonely nights, that some day, if she was lucky, she could find the one. It was a scary dream, a fearful wish, in part because thinking about it she had to face reality. All those girls, al those one night stands meant nothing, they were just solace for her hunger body. It was her soul that always went to bed alone.
Kissing Tina, caressing her bare back, the shape of her hips, feeling her warm body responding to her touch, Bette thought about all those night when she went to bed with the faceless girl, all those times she wished, she dreamt while making love to them that she could fall in love. Noticing Tinas hands, Bette felt a shiver run through her body. She remembered all the mornings she woke up wishing for the girl to be at her side to mean something, all the times she had the urge to run away. The loneliness, the quietness, the coldness.

Breaking the kiss, Tina removed Bettes messed hair from her face, and looking her in the eyes, whispered,

“You ok?”

Gulping, unable to move her eyes from Tinas, Bette whispered,

“Yeah”

Noticing how unconvincing her words were, Bette smiled, trying to fool Tina.

“What were you thinking?” Tina asked caressing Bettes cheek.

“When?” Bette asked escaping Tinas look.

“Just now” Tina whispered, her hand on Bettes chin, moving it so they could lock their eyes again.

Taking almost a minute to find the courage, Bette said,

“Ive dreamt about you so many times that now that you are here…is scary.. I never thought Id feel this way…I…”

Nodding, unaware of the smile growing on her face, Tina took Bettes hand in hers.

“…I never thought Id find you…I…Ive been looking for you for so long…”

Knowing what Bette was talking about, Tina leaned forward. Slowly, very carefully she placed her lips on Bettes.