After Bette left Tina walked to the sofa that took up a portion of the wall opposite her desk. Slipping off her shoes she lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes, trying to block out the image of Bette’s face and everything she had said. Her thoughts were random but eventually they came into sharp focus around the night she wished she could erase from her life____the night before she married Henry.

Her parents had rented a large room at the country club for the party in honor of their daughters wedding to Henry a young advertising agent she had met while selling commercial time for a local radio station. She had introduced him to her parents and he had made an impression on her father. They had bonded and from that day her father had expected them to get married and provide him with grandchildren.

Tina would always remember her dress. She’d never worn it again but had hung it in the corner of a closet in her parents’ house. Her dress was beautiful but she had never wanted to see it again after that night. Everything was going well until Shane showed up, with Bette in tow.

Shane was Tina’s hairdresser and over the years they had become very good friends. Tina knew Shane was gay and she could hardly get her to shut up about her good friend Bette.____ “Oh, Bette is so beautiful. Oh Bette is so intelligent. Oh Bette is so much fun. Oh you have to meet her Tina,I promise you won’t regret it.” _____Boy did she ever._____ Tina knew Shane never liked Henry, from the moment they were introduced, she was always hoping that Tina would meet her friend, Bette, and they would hit it off and Tina would call off the wedding.

Shane never cared that Tina was straight and every time Tina would remind her of that fact she would laugh and say___ “you’re straight until you’re not”….

Everything that Shane had told her about Bette was true. The woman exuded confidence and charm, tall and slender,and beautiful she certainly made a startling first impression

She had felt the first tingling of sensations when at ,Shane’s introduction ,Bette Porter’s eyes subjected her to a thorough appraisal. But those tinglings were only harbinger of the currents that sizzled along her nerves when Bette took her hand and pressed her fingers lightly. She all but jerked her hand out of her electrifying clasp.