Bette: (still worried that Tina is upset) “So, are you going to be okay with us staying here tonight or would you prefer that we drive back to L.A?”

Tina: (sat there for a moment and debated, before she made her decision) “It’s late. We can just stay here.”

Bette: (smiling in relief, as she got up and walked over to the bag she brought) “Great. You can take the bed and I will take the couch. I hope you don’t mindbut I took the liberty of bringing some things for us to sleep in.”

Tina: (looking over at Bette, as she pulled a box out of the bag and headed back towards her) “Uhokay.”

Bette: (smiling, as she handed the box over to Tina) “I guessed at your size but I think it will be a perfect fit.”

Tina: (looking up at Bette and then back down at the box and wondered its contents. For a moment, she was panicked at the thought that maybe Bette had brought some lingerie for her and might be expecting more from her than what she had admitted. She sat there trying to figure out what she should do. Finally she decided that she would prefer to open the box in private and then figure out what she was going to do) “I think I will just go in the bathroom and change since it is getting late.”

Bette: “Okay. I will wait until you are through with the bathroom and then I’ll go in and change.”

Tina made her way into the bathroom with the box in her hand. After she walked into the bathroom she pushed the door to shut it, but it didn’t quite close. Tina took a deep breath and opened the box in her handsand as she looked at its contents, she began to laugh through the smile that formed on her face.

Bette had been taking her pajama pants out of her bag when she heard Tina’s soft laugh coming from the bathroom. She smiled as she envisioned the smile on Tina’s face. Bette couldn’t help but think ‘God she is cute and I love to hear her laughing.’

Tina sat the lid of the box on the corner of the sink and pulled out the cutest pink bunny slippers she had ever seen. As she held them in her hand, she couldn’t help but laugh again. ‘You were worried about ***** lingerie, Kennard?’ Tina thought to herself. As her laughter died, she ran her hand over the soft fur and thought of the wonderful woman who sat out in the other room waiting for her.

She found herself wondering what it would be like to truly be in a relationship with Bette. Tina smiled as she realized that if things kept going the way they were, in time she would know. She sat the slippers at her feet and reached into the box and removed a pair of pink silk pajama bottoms and a white cotton t-shirt. She quickly shed her clothes and put on the pajama bottoms and t-shirt, before she shoved her feet into the bunny slippers and opened the bathroom door.

She was smiling as she approached Bette, who was busy gathering things from her bag. When Bette looked up at her, she couldn’t resist doing the bunny hop. Bette smiled and began to laugh, as she walked towards Tina. Bette then pulled her loosely into her arms, as she looked into Tina’s face.

Bette: (laughing) “Nice dance but I much prefer that you dance with me.”

Tina: (teasing) “You want to do the bunny hop with me, Porter?”

Bette: (smiling) “Not a chance. I want to hold you in my arms and I don’t think the bunny hop allows for that. So Ms. Kennard, will you dance with me one last time before we turn in for the night? Can we share a slow dance, so I can have you close to me and hold you in my arms before we say goodnight?”

Tina: (staring intently into Bette’s eyes and admitting to herself that she wants the same thing) “I think I’d like that too.”

Bette: (leaning in and gently kissing Tina on the lips) “Let me change into my pajamas and I’ll be right back. Why don’t you find some music you like while I am gone?”

When Bette returned from the bathroom, she saw Tina standing at the doors to the balcony looking out into the night as soft music filled the room.

Bette: (approaching Tina) “Penny for them.”

Tina: (turning upon hearing Bette’s voice and smiling) “I was just thinking how beautiful it is here and how wonderful tonight has been.”

Bette: (smiling as she reached out to take Tina’s hand) “It’s not over quite yet. I think you owe me a dance.”

Tina: (teasing) “That I do. You have one last chance to change your mind about the bunny hop. I am suitably attired for that you know.” (she holds up her foot flashing the bunny slipper)

Bette: (smiling and teasing) “Well that might be true, but I think I will force myself to refrain and only share a slow dance with you. Now dance with me.”

Tina let go of Bette’s hand and went willingly into her arms. As the dance began, they were a little distance apart from one another. As the dance progressed, they instinctively moved closer to one another until their bodies melded together as if they were made for each other. They were barely moving to the music as they held each other close and their hands would occasionally caress each other’s back or shoulder.

Neither of them had said a word since their dance began, but as the latest song ended Bette reluctantly pulled slightly away from Tina.

Bette: (looking into Tina’s eyes) “Are you tired? You want to stop?”

Tina: (smiling as she pulled Bette back closer to her) “No and no.”

Bette: (smiling as she gently kissed Tina’s head which was now resting on her shoulder) “Okay. Just let me know when you get tired.”

As they began to dance again, Tina pulled her head off of Bette’s shoulder and looked up into her eyes.

Tina: “Bette I have something I need to confess.”

Bette: (looking at Tina) “What’s that?”

Tina: (hesitantly) “Earlier when I went in to the bathroom to change…I was worried that there might be ***** lingerie in the box you gave me.”

Bette: (smiling as she moved her hand up and ran her finger along Tina’s jaw and over her bottom lip) “Well, on you I think it is ***** lingerie. Baby, I think you look ***** no matter what you have on.”

Tina: (smiling) “Baby?”

Bette: (sheepishly) “Is that okay?”

Tina: (thinking that she liked the sound of Bette calling her baby) “Very okay.”

Bette: (smiling) “Good.”

Tina leaned back in as if she was going to lay her head back on Bette’s shoulder but before she did she put her mouth very close to Bette’s ear and murmured, “Just in case you were wonderingI really think you are ***** too. I probably shouldn’t be admitting this butsometimes you take my breath away.”

Upon hearing Tina’s words, Bette started to pull back from Tina but Tina stopped her by moving her hands so that she was holding Bette’s face in her hands. Tina was staring intently into Bette’s eyes when she leaned in and gently kissed her.

Almost from the moment that her lips touched Bette’s, she realized that she didn’t want gentle. She wanted to kiss this woman with every single thing she was feeling so she went for it.

Bette was surprised when Tina initiated the kiss but she was even more surprised when she felt the passion behind the lips that touched hers. She hesitated for only a moment before she responded in kind and they were kissing each other passionately.

Their lips were meeting, tasting, ravishing while their tongues were entwining sometimes gently touchingsometimes it was almost as if they were dancingwhile at other times they were licking at each other frantically. It was as if they both were searching, trying to possess and take ownership of each other while they hungrily devoured each other’s mouths.

The kiss went on for several long minutes before Bette reluctantly started to pull back from Tina to catch her breath and to calm things down but when she heard Tina whimper at the loss of her mouth under hers she moved back in and kissed her again. Bette set the pace of the second kiss by alternating soft gentle kisses with passionate demanding kisses but soon she knew that if she did not stop she was going to ask Tina for something she knew Ms. Kennard wasn’t ready to give.

Bette broke off the kiss and started to pull back once again but Tina pulled her back in and began to kiss her again. Bette let the kiss go on for only a moment before she reached up and put her hands on each side of Tina’s face and gently pulled her away from her lips.

Bette: (out of breath) “Babywe need to slow things down.”

Tina: (staring into Bette’s eyes and fighting a war within herself) “What if I don’t want to slow things down?”

Bette: (looking in to Tina’s eyes and trying to read what she saw there) “Babyas much as I want things to go further, I think it is too soon and I am afraid you might hate me in the morning. I didn’t bring you here to get you into bed, Tina. When the time is right, believe me, there will be no stopping it from happening.”

Tina stood there for a long moment staring at Bette, as she realized that Bette was right. She knew in that moment that she fell just a little more in love with Bette for living up to her word. She leaned over and gently kissed Bette on the lips and said, “Thank you.”

Bette: (rubbing the back of her hand over Tina’s cheek) “Don’t thank me. It was purely selfish on my part.