Chapter 8

The doors swung open to the saloon startling Bette, causing her to back up a few steps at the sight of a large, intoxicated man with sweat dripping off his brow. A slender woman quickly followed as she pawed at him to try to grab onto his flannel shirt to steady him.

“Bobby Joe slow down,” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Wow,” Alice’s eyes widened. “Bobby Joe? Are you serious?”

“Shut up Alice,” Bette warned wanting to avoid an altercation of any kind for the night.

Bette held the door open for the apologetic woman as she struggled to help her companion steady himself.

“Is it a requirement to have two first names to live here?”

“Thin ice Al,” Tina warned Alice for the second time.

“Fine, I’ll behave.”

“Excuse us,” the slender woman said as she tried to steady the burly man before he fell face forward onto the walkway at Bette’s boots.

“Oh my God!” Bette’s eyes widened. She bent down and helped the woman bring the man to his feet as he brushed his knees off.

“Well crap on a cracker I fell pretty Lady!” Bobby Joe slurred in Bette’s direction. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

Bobby Joe attempted to smooth out his flannel, but neglected his pants, which had slid down on his hips by quite a lot.

“God I need acid for my eyes,” Alice said in disgust. “His crack was as wide open as…”

“The space between your ears?” Dana asked with a proud smile on her face.

“Very funny.”

“You know everyone can hear you right?” Tina shot Alice a look of warning that ensured she remained silent until Bobby Joe was out of earshot of their conversation.

Bette shook her head and used one hand to open the saloon door while she placed the other on the small of Tina’s back to guide her inside. The music that greeted them was as shocking to Bette as the scene that had played out at her feet just moments before.

Bette looked down as her boots crunched the peanut shells, which by the look of the floor, were supposed to be thrown onto the ground once the peanut was retrieved from inside.

“Damn that’s some bass. The fucking floor is vibrating,” Shane said as she walked in and stood next to Bette scanning the crowd for a place to sit.

“It’s not that bad is it Babe?” Tina said looking at Bette hopeful that she would enjoy a night out.

“What’s that?” Bette shouted back.

“The music.”

“If you play it backward so that the dog comes home and the farm isn’t taken away.”

Tina rolled her eyes as Alice, Shane, and Dana laughed at Bette’s offhanded joke.

“I grew up on this music!”

“Seriously Tina,” Alice looked at her friend with compassion. “Let me apologize on behalf of your parents because that just isn’t right.”

Dana’s mouth fell open as her eyes noticed a mechanical bull in the corner with hay scattered all around in a pathetic attempt to break an almost certain fall.

“You up for it?” Shane nudged Dana smiling at her.

“Are you crazy?”

“Don’t worry Dana,” Bette smiled at her friend. “If you fell and hurt yourself we could play the song backward like it never happened.”

“Very funny,” Tina rolled her eyes and grabbed Bette’s hand to claim an empty table as their own.

Within moments the entire group crowded around a small and sticky table surveying the crowd. The dance floor was packed as patrons executed well-choreographed line dances to the beat of the music.

“You need a freakin’ manual to know what to do out there,” Alice said as she rolled her eyes.

“I’ll teach ya,” James offered as he stood up and held out his hand for Alice to walk on the dance floor with him.

“I’d be honored.”

Bette offered Tina the stool near the table as she stood next to her, leaning on the higher table, and watching Alice stumble over her own feet.

“She really has no coordination,” Bette said chuckling.

Tina kept her eyes on Bette as she continued to watch James and Alice move to the beat of the music. She inconspicuously slid her hand to the back of Bette’s thigh and rubbed it lovingly. Bette looked over at her quickly, shooting her a warning glare reminding her they were in public.

“I’ll go get us some drinks at the bar,” Jackie said while getting up. “Does anyone actually care what they get or just something easy ok?”

“Easy is good,” Shane said getting up. “I’ll go with you.”

Dana scurried after them to help leaving Bette and Tina alone at the table together. Tina stood up to be closer to Bette’s ear so she could hear the words that Tina carefully thought about to express her appreciation regarding Bette’s attire for the night.

“You know there’s nothing I would like more then to take you back home right now,” Tina breathed into Bette’s ear causing her to shiver. “I’d make you scream all night long Babe.”

As Tina’s hand inched up the back of Bette’s thigh, the only answer Bette could muster was a slight moan.

“I’d push you on the sofa bed and crawl between these amazingly strong thighs of yours,” Tina whispered close to Bette’s ear once more.

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“No just tease you,” Tina moved her hand up and massaged the area where Bette’s pocket of her Levi’s was worn.

“Are you insane?” Bette moved her hand off her body. “We’re in a public place and it isn’t in West Hollywood where this is common.”

Jackie, Shane, and Dana returned to the table with a tray of shots and a tray of bottled beer to serve as chasers. Alice and James danced their way back to the table once they saw drinks appearing there.

“You were really good,” Tina complimented them.

“Maybe I can convince you to dance with your younger brother later?”

Tina threw the shot back and took a small sip of her beer before putting the bottle down.

“A few more of these and I’ll need little convincing,” Tina smiled.

Tina took another shot and slammed it down skipping the chaser altogether. She felt the amber liquid burn as it passed down her throat and pooled in her stomach. The liquid courage she just consumed began to cloud Tina’s judgment as returned her hand to the back of Bette’s thigh and slipped her finger through the hole in Bette’s jeans, caressing her skin. Bette’s eyes got wide as she bit her lower lip and struggled not to seem so obvious in front of Tina’s family that Tina was playing with her resolve.

Bette arched her eyebrow in Tina’s direction as she kept her eyes focused on Jackie while she was explaining the events that took place before Tina and Bette arrived.

Dana allowed her eyes to glance in different directions of the bar to people watch when she saw a group of younger men looking in their direction. She nudged Shane who was watching a waitress serve drinks at a table near them.

“They’re staring at us,” Dana said feeling self-conscious.

When Shane didn’t answer, Dana turned to Tina to get what she hoped would be a captive audience.

“Tina that table of guys is staring at us.”

“Uh-huh,” Tina mumbled as she now kept her eyes on Bette struggling to ignore her hand teasing her bare skin through the hole in her Levi’s.

“They look like they’re coming over here!”

“That’s wonderful Dana,” Tina said clearly not paying attention to anything Dana was saying.

“Am I invisible here? Doesn’t anyone care that a group of rather large men are headed this way?”

“Not likely at this table,” Jackie chuckled and took a large sip of her beer.

“Um,” Dana stammered. “Tina…..Tina….TINA!”

“What?” Tina’s attention was diverted to Dana’s demanding voice. “What is it?”

“Large men…heading this way…..any of this ringing a bell?”

James scooted up behind Dana and lightly kissed her neck causing her to jump and turn around smacking James in the chest.

“What are you doing?”

“Play it cool so they think we’re together and you won’t be bothered,” James said quietly.

“Plus wipe the look off your face or they won’t buy it,” Alice added. “Just think of it as a female Kennard.”

“God I can’t do that!” Dana said as she struggled to play along. “That would mean a married woman or Tina.”

“What’s so wrong with me?”

Dana sighed in relief as the group of men headed in a different direction witnessing the interaction between her and James.

“So Mom borrowed a book on lesbians,” Jackie said as if nothing had just happened.

“That’s how she knew to use ‘partner’ to explain Bette’s role in my life?”

“Does she still have it? I can’t wait to see it!” Alice exclaimed.

“Hell no,” Shane shook her head. “No talking over manuals and shit with Tina’s mom Al!”

“What if she needs help with the definitions?”

“She can ask me,” Tina interjected as she slid her foot on the inside of Bette’s to kick her legs further apart.

“Kill me now,” Bette muttered as she felt Tina’s hand rise up the inside of her thigh, still out of view of the others at the table. Bette leaned over closer to Tina so that their conversation could be private. “You need to stop it.”

“Why is that?” Tina smiled innocently at her. She inched her hand up higher, rubbing close to the center between her legs but not quite touching Bette where her body was throbbing.

Bette’s breathing became labored as she struggled to maintain her composure. She was the only one not drinking, so each shot that was ordered, Tina took it upon herself to drink not only her own, but Bette’s as well. This made Tina bolder with each move she orchestrated. When the next round came, Bette grabbed a beer for herself and left the shots for everyone else to enjoy.

“I’m seriously getting buzzed,” Alice announced with a goofy grin on her face. “This is a perfect time to scope the crowd.”

“You are not picking anyone up here!” Tina slurred as her hand rubbed Bette lightly between her legs causing Bette to grip the table and work to control her reaction.

“Oh I am so hookin’ up with someone here Kennard. It’s just a matter of who will be the lucky lady.”

“This is all so strange,” Jackie muttered as she felt her eyes get heavier with each shot she took.

“What is Babe?” Alice asked her eliciting a smile from Jackie at the term of endearment.

“My sister dating a woman.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Shane said smiling at Jackie.

“Doubt that.”

“Borrow your mom’s book and we can all talk strap-ons,” Alice laughed.

“Jesus Alice,” Tina slurred her words even more. “You cannot talk strap-ons with my family!”

“I would be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t curious,” Jackie leaned on her hand to prop her head up.

“About?”

“How things even fucking work!”

“What do you mean?” Tina asked confused.

“We’re not doing this,” Bette warned.

“Jesus Porter,” Alice interjected. “What happens at Diamonds and whatever stays here!”

“We are not discussing my sex life Alice.”

“Al,” Tina blinked hard to focus on her friend’s face without the room spinning. “Those that talk can’t do but those that do can’t talk….” Tina paused momentarily. “Is that right Babe? Those that talk can’t do it because they talk about it instead of doing it?”

“Something like that,” Bette muttered as Tina snaked her hand between her legs again.

“We aren’t talking are we Babe?” Tina flirted with Bette.

“God no,” Bette felt a heat wave wash over her as she struggled to move out of Tina’s reach.

“If we aren’t talking about your sex life then I need to go find mine.”

“Where are you going to go Alice?” Dana asked annoyed.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re sharing a room with us! Where are you going to take this woman you’re going to find for the night?”

“Back to her place.”

“That’s not a smart plan Al,” Bette warned.

“Hey, we’re down South. Warm, friendly, inviting. Isn’t that what they say? So what’s wrong with enjoying some ‘down south’ while we’re down South?”

“Is that the new motto for what you call Hicksville?” Tina asked pointing out Alice’s changed tune regarding her hometown.

“If it gets me laid.”

“God this is too much,” James said as he head began to cloud over with alcohol. “I gotta puke.”

“Lesbian talk too hot for you Champ?” Alice nudged her former dance partner in the arm.

“The booze is too much for me,” James admitted. “That and my sister’s girlfriend in those jeans!”

“Ugh,” Bette rolled her eyes at the remark and caught Tina as she started to fall off the stool. “You’re cut off.”

“Me too,” Jackie pushed her remaining shot away from her. “I better stop before we all fall in lust over Bette.”

Alice snickered as she slammed her beer bottle down after finishing the liquid inside.

“Seriously,” Jackie leaned over to whisper to Alice in a voice that was just shy of a scream. “I was not kidding about her ass being outlawed in those Levi’s!”

“I hear ya!” Alice yelled back.

“I need to get you both home,” Bette said as she stepped back from Tina’s wandering hands.

“Just promise my sister won’t jump you when you take us home,” Jackie pleaded.

“Not promising that,” Tina snickered.

“I am,” Bette corrected her quickly.

Bette grabbed Tina by the waist as Shane helped Jackie up and headed toward the exit of the bar. Tina laid her head on Bette’s shoulder and tried hard to focus straight ahead to walk as straight as she could.

“I love you,” Tina muttered near Bette’s ear.

“Back at ya,” Bette said as she kicked the door open to the outside and the cool air hit Tina in the face causing her to open her eyes wide.

“I love ya too,” Jackie muttered to Shane not sure who she was talking to.

“Nice to know, but remember I have no ass.”

Jackie chuckled as Shane maneuvered her to the back seat of the car and scooted her in gently. Bette sat Tina in the front seat and buckled her seatbelt before shutting her door and turning to face James.

“Keys please.”

“Yep,” James dropped them into her outstretched hand and got in the back with Shane and Jackie.

“Where are Abbott and Costello?”

Tina snickered and shrugged her shoulders.

“That’s a nice way to describe them,” Shane said laughing. “I’ll go look for them.”

“We call you the three stooges when you’re all together,” Tina informed her proud of the admission.

“Nice to know.”

Shane got out of the car and ran back inside to check on Alice and Dana. In lieu of Shane being gone, Jackie just laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.

“God make it stop spinning.”

“Water will help.”

“Bette, are we moving?”

“No,” Bette answered hesitantly.

“Why does it feel that way?”

“Because you’re drunk Jackie.”

“Can’t argue that shit,” Jackie smiled with her eyes closed and her head thrown back.

Shane opened the door causing the drunk passengers to groan at the lights shining in their eyes.

“They’re staying.”

“How are they getting home?” Bette asked.

“Don’t ask.”

“This has to be good,” Bette turned around to face Shane in the backseat. “I can’t just leave them here if they don’t have a ride.”

“They’ll call my cell if they need to, but Al was already making moves on someone.”

“Oh God help me,” Tina moaned.

“More like God help Hicksville,” Jackie mumbled.

Bette started the car and began the journey back to the Kennard house by memory as all three of the Kennards were currently struggling to keep their eyes open. Jackie laid her head down on Shane’s shoulder and began a soft snore.

“That’s one down,” Shane smiled as Bette caught her eye in the rearview mirror.

“One down, two to go.”

“One down means four left,” Tina said struggling with the math as she mumbled to herself. “Because if one of us is down, and you add us back in, then you have four left. Is that right Bette?”

“Something like that.”

“You’re going to have fun tonight,” Shane chuckled. “Care to use Alice’s bed at the hotel?”

“As tempting as that is, I have a feeling I’ll be taking care of the Kennard clan.”

Bette pulled into the driveway and opened the door, which in turn illuminated the car.

“God shut the light off,” James groaned as Shane helped him and Jackie out of the back of the car and pointed them in the direction of the house. They walked up to the door and pushed it open, laughing as they both tripped trying to enter the house.

“Do you need help to your bedroom?”

“I’m claiming the bathroom,” Jackie groaned as she used her hand against the wall for balance. “I may just sleep in there if it isn’t too cold.”

“Great, I guess if I have to get sick I’ll use a shoebox.”

“How manly of you little brother,” Jackie snickered as she bumped into the walls in an attempt to make it down the hallway and into the bathroom as quickly as she could.

Bette helped Tina inside once she was sure Shane was set on directions and began her journey to their hotel. Tina was hanging onto Bette’s waist to steady herself, but her mouth was eagerly nipping at Bette’s neck.

“Stop that,” Bette whispered.

“God I am so glad we’re home,” Tina’s hands began to aggressively grope at the buttons on Bette’s jeans. “No matter where we are when you’re in these jeans, I can’t control myself.”

“You will tonight.”

Bette locked the door as Tina walked ahead of her pulling at her t-shirt to rid herself of it.

“Don’t you want to change elsewhere?”

“Not a chance,” Tina said seductively. “Help me get untangled.”

Bette took a deep breath in to steady her nerves as she lifted Tina’s shirt up and over her head, discarding it to the side. Tina quickly unfastened her jeans, sliding the zipper down with clumsy hands, and kicking them off to stand in front of Bette. She had on only her thong now, which made Bette’s task even more difficult in putting her to bed and controlling her arousal.

“God I want to fuck you all night.”

“Not here you won’t,” Bette countered as she stepped further back from Tina putting the bed between them.

Tina got on her hands and knees in the bed and began to crawl in Bette’s direction.

“I can tell just how aroused you are Babe, don’t fight it.”

Tina made it halfway onto Bette’s side of the bed before she balanced on her knees to free her hands. Bette quickly tossed Tina her sleep shirt, hoping to occupy her. Tina struggled into the shirt, running her hands over the front to straighten it. When her hands reached her breasts, she paused and began to rub her nipples between her fingers causing Bette to moan her approval.

“I’m ignoring you,” Bette said trying to convince herself more then Tina.

Tina smiled as Bette turned her back and bent over to take her boots off.

“God I love your ass in these jeans,” Tina crawled the rest of the way to Bette’s side of the bed. While Bette was bent over, Tina lifted Bette’s shirt and kissed the small of her back causing Bette to bite down on her lower lip and roll her eyes back in her head.

“You have to stop.”

“We can be quiet, just don’t moan so loud.”

“I am not having sex in your parents’ house,” Bette insisted as she stepped out of the way of Tina’s wandering hands. She turned around and faced Tina, who now was laying back on Bette’s pillows with her hands behind her head accenting her chest even more. “This is like some nightmare from high school.”

Tina chuckled as she dropped one hand to her stomach, inching the shirt up as her hand moved toward her breast.

“This could be you.”

“Are you trying to torture me?”

“It’s the jeans Babe.”

“Fine,” Bette stripped out of her Levi’s quickly and discarded them. She put on Jonathon’s sweatpants and wrapped the tie around her waist several times. “No jeans, nothing sexy about these pants.”

“Bullshit,” Tina smiled as she snaked her hands down to her own thighs. “More room for my hands in those then the jeans.”

“You….bed…your side…now,” Bette stuttered as she was reduced to one word grunts to express herself.

Tina scooted over slowly to her side of the bed allowing Bette to get in and under the covers. Bette made a point of not turning around to face Tina, knowing she would be unable to control herself given her current state of arousal. Tina scooted back over to Bette’s side of the bed and rubbed her breasts against Bette’s back to ensure she knew how hard Tina’s nipples were.

“I know how much you love to snuggle,” Tina whispered in her ear. She then licked the outer part of Bette’s ear and then blew cold air on it causing Bette to shiver.

“I thought you were supposed to be on your side?” Bette asked through clenched teeth.

“Uh-huh,” Tina muttered as her hand snaked under Bette’s shirt. She listened to Bette’s breathing quicken, which in turn fueled her exploration more. She slid her hand up Bette’s body, but was careful to stay away from Bette’s hardened nipple. She traced along the outside of her breast, never breaking contact with her fingers, and traced small circles around the bottom and top of her breast still avoiding her nipple. Bette’s lips parted as her breathing became shallow, her arousal nearing the dangerous point of no return.

“God you have to stop,” Bette moaned as Tina played with the skin in the valley between Bette’s breasts.

“Do you really want me to stop or is it more a ‘don’t ever stop’ like when I’m touching you, tasting you, feeling how wet you are for me?” Tina said as she kissed her neck. “Your body is telling me you want me to fuck you all night long.” Tina proved her point by making contact with Bette’s nipple and tweaking it hard between her fingers.

Bette’s body arched to gain more contact with Tina’s hand, however, her mind was still insisting that she had to stop before they were caught. Tina slid her hand lower as she kissed Bette’s shoulder still clothed with a Yale t-shirt from her vast collection.

“We have to stop,” Bette pleaded but her legs opened wider to allow Tina the room she needed for her seduction.

Bette moaned into the pillow she was using to muffle her sounds as Tina slid her finger through her wet folds. Tina used one finger to trace the outside of Bette’s opening, gathering her arousal on her finger, and then rubbing it over Bette’s clit. As she massaged her, Bette began to squirm unable to continue to resist.

“Please.”

“Oh now you’re begging,” Tina said chuckling. “Tell me you want me inside Bette.”

“God we can’t do this,” Bette’s head was screaming at her that it was time to stop. Her body, however, had a mind of its own.

Tina slowly inserted one finger into Bette and smiled into Bette’s hair as she heard Bette’s breath catch in her throat. She withdrew the finger, causing Bette to moan her disapproval. Tina massaged Bette’s swollen clit with her soaked finger in an effort to alleviate any disappointment Bette may have had.

“I’m coming out of my skin,” Bette said in a breathless voice.

“You’ll be coming alright,” Tina teased as she began making slow circles over and around Bette’s clit.

Bette quickly turned to lay on her back making the bed shake as her weight shifted. Tina’s hand stilled and her breathing changed rapidly. Bette opened her eyes and looked at Tina with concern.

“Babe?”

“The bed,” Tina struggled with her words. “Shaking, not good.”

“Tina?” Bette sat up and saw the sweat beading on Tina’s skin as she closed her eyes and swallowed repeatedly. Tina removed her fingers from Bette and bit down on her lower lip.

“Stop the spinning,” Tina groaned as she worked hard to focus on settling her stomach.

“Put your foot on the ground.”

“Why?”

“It will help with your equilibrium,” Bette stroked Tina’s arm to try to provide a little comfort. Tina’s leg flopped over the side of the bed as she placed a toe on the ground. Her eyes were closed and as Bette stroked her arm, her breathing deepened and her body relaxed.

“Tina?” Bette nudged her slightly causing a small snore to escape. “Oh my fucking God you’re asleep now?”

Bette got up and paced back and forth holding onto the sweatpants that served as her pajama bottoms. She glanced back at the bed and saw Tina, with her thigh exposed on the leg that was resting on the ground.

Bette sighed as she lifted Tina’s bare leg back in the bed and covered her up completely to avoid any embarrassment should someone see her laying there. Bette looked at the clock and sighed knowing sleep was far off for her in her current state.

She tiptoed to the stairs leading to the basement and made her way down there with the intent of watching television to distract her mind and body from thoughts of Tina. When Bette sighed and ran her fingers through her hair a chair quickly spun around and the light was turned on.

Bette sheltered her eyes from the glare of the lamp as Jonathon Kennard smiled politely.

“I didn’t wake you did I?”

“No,” Bette said too quickly and smiled with embarrassment.

Jonathon twirled an amber liquid around in a crystal glass he was holding, the same liquid that Tina had enjoyed in excess earlier that night.

“Well if you can’t sleep we might as well make the most of it. Why don’t you change so you don’t need to hold your pants up and we’ll shoot some pool?”

“I’m really not that good at pool,” Bette admitted.

“It’s not really about pool so much as talking.”

Jonathon got up and began his selection of a cue for himself and Bette from his collection. Bette stood there contemplating any means to excuse herself from the game. However, when none of her excuses seemed strong enough she began her journey back up the stairs to change.

Bette retrieved her Levi’s putting them on with her bare feet. She stripped out of her thin Yale t-shirt that did little to hide her aroused nipples, and slipped into a sweatshirt that was lying on top of Tina’s suitcase. She bent down and kissed a sleeping Tina on the forehead.

“Why is it that nobody is taking me serious about killing me when I ask?” Bette smiled as Tina snored louder. “I guess I even surprise myself at what I’ll do for you. Just remember, if I don’t make it out alive, I love you.”

Bette began her journey back downstairs as she heard Jonathon Kennard racking the balls up for a friendly game of pool.

“Play it cool Porter,” Bette muttered as she made her way to the bottom of the stairs to face Tina’s father.