Previously…

“I never stopped loving you, but I can’t be with you T.”

Tina was crushed. All she could do is take a step backwards as her legs threatened to crumble beneath her.

“Not now at least,” Bette said as she reached out to steady Tina. “Not yet.”

“Don’t you want to try again Bette?” Tina asked as she fought to contain the tears that threatened to fall. “Why did you ask me where I wanted this to go if you didn’t want this?”

“T.”

“No, really, I don’t understand how you could do this to me all over again.”

“T… just let me finish…”

“No, I can’t do this Bette…not again,” Tina said making no attempt to hide her tears as she ran out the door.

“Wait,” Bette called after her, yet her words did nothing to stop her.

“Wait…I have to talk to Jodi,” Bette said to her empty house. “I have to do this right this time.”

—————      

15 minutes later

“Excuse me ma’am, can I see your license and registration please?

“Do I look like a ma’am to you?”

“Well, sometimes…” she said with a grin. “What are you doing T?”

“Oh, you know, just sittin’ here; Doing my nails and pondering the existential nature of the existence of man, you?”

“Oh I just invented the perfect mousetrap. Now I’m going to start in on world peace,” said Bette with a grin. “Sooo…”

“This is fun,” said Tina as she removed the keys from the engine. As she got out of the car, her shoe got caught under the seat causing her to tumble out the door.

“You’re in good company. Besides, sometimes I act like a six-year-old,” said Bette opening her arms and stepping forward to catch her.

They stood like that for a minute; neither wanting to lose the light banter they had established or the closeness that had been afforded by Tina’s clumsiness. The minute they touched, they both felt it. The safeness, warmth, tingles; the feeling of home; they were both lost in the moment. The longer they stood like that, the harder it got for either one to pull away.

But they did.

“Hey guys!” Shane called out causing them to jump away from each other while suddenly Tina appeared to be getting something out of Bette’s hair.

“Got it!” said Tina as she pretended to throw it on the ground.  

“Just a leaf, see you’re safe,” she rambled loud enough for Shane to hear. “Nothing to be afraid of.”

“She hates bugs,” Tina called to Shane.

“I do! They’re gross!” Bette chimed in.

“Uh-ok, have a good day!” Shane said as she stepped into her house.

“That was close,” said Tina.

“Yeah it was, wanna do this inside… I mean at home…I mean at the house?” Bette stumbled as she corrected herself.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” said Tina as she took Bette’s hand. “You’re in good company,” she said as she resumed the previous conversation.  “I seem to be acting like a six-year-old a lot lately.”

“What?” Bette asked suddenly confused.

“What you just said, before, about you acting like a six-year-old.”

“Oh, yeah; right,” causing Bette to smile and look at her. “You know you are very good at playing the pretend game. Bugs; perfect cover, she never caught a thing,” she said with a wink.

“Stuttering Stanley,” Tina teased.

“I guess you have been acting like a six-year-old a lot recently.”

“You started it!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well what are you going to do about it,” she said as she opened the door and stepped inside. She could feel that Tina was right behind her. Close enough that she could feel the gentle curve of Tina’s breast rub against her back.

“So, are you ready to talk then?” Bette asked as she sat down at the table.

“Not yet,” said Tina. “I don’t want to talk anymore. I’m sick of talking, all we do is talk,” she said  gently touching Bette’s shoulder.

“Well then what are we going to do?”

“This,” Tina said forcefully pulling Bette’s chair away from the table.

“Tina, this isn’t a good idea.”

“Yes,” Tina said as she sat down on Bette’s lap and kissed her.

“It,” she said as ran her hand through her hair and kissed Bette again.

“Is,” Tina said a final time as she traced a path from the bottom of Bette’s neck to her mouth and parted her lips eliciting an involuntary moan from Bette.

“T…”

TBC…