***

Now having Bette in her own home, in her bed and after the night of marathon sex Candace thought they had something special but things had changed this morning. Candace tried to convey in her kiss that she was falling in love and thought it would be reciprocated but she wasn’t getting the reaction she’d expected.

Realizing that Bette wasn’t kissing back she lifted her weight off the woman and looked into her face. Bette’s eyes were closed; tears stained her cheeks. She’d been silently crying as guilt, sorrow and regret overtook her senses.

“I’m sorry baby. Did I hurt you?” Candace asked pleadingly.

Bette opened her eyes and looked into Candace’s concerned face. She shook her head no to assure her that she hadn’t hurt her physically but the tears flowed nonetheless. Candace kissed her tenderly on the lips, touched her face and gently wiped the tears. By the look of total admiration on her face it’s obvious she’s in awe of the gorgeous woman sharing her bed; a woman so out of her league that she’d gotten up in the middle of the night and taken a picture of them together while Bette slept just in case she awoke to find her gone.

“I’m so happy to have you here.” Candace coaxed.

Bette didn’t respond. She’d closed her eyes again still lost in thought.

“Hello?”

Finally Bette responded with a weak “Hi.” It was the first word she’d spoken that morning.

“Hey. Where did you go?”

Bette didn’t answer. She simply stared at Candace wondering what in the hell had possessed her to cheat on her beautiful wife with this woman that meant absolutely nothing to her. She wasn’t even the type that Bette normally found physically attractive. This was an aberration. She had to put a stop to it right now. She looked away with sadness in her eyes; not because of what she was about to do but because of what she knew she’d risked.

“What’s going on?” Candace asked already knowing the answer.

***

Hours later, James walked into Bette’s office, and puts a note in front of her that reads ”Candace Jewell on the phone.”

Bette screams loudly “NO!”

James is taken aback by her outburst. He wouldn’t normally interrupt her but this was the fifth time Candace had called, and he was getting nervous that it might have had something to do with the Provocations exhibit that they’d just closed. As James persisted with his explanation Bette grew angrier. Of course James couldn’t know that Bette and Candace had been having an affair or that she’d ended it with Candace just that morning. She’d told Candace in no uncertain terms that it was totally over for them. She didn’t want Candace calling or coming around her anymore.