Tina chuckled to hide her embarrassment. “Don’t worry. It is a small town they don’t handle strangers very well. They will warm up to you.”

            Bette’s puzzled look deepened for a fleeting moment, she could feel that Tina was holding something back. The blond woman seemed a little uncomfortable all of a sudden.

            ‘Was my attraction to her that apparent? I should be more careful. I am a biracial ***** in a rural southern town, I should defiantly be more careful.’

            Bette eased into a warm smile; she couldn’t help but smile at Tina. So throwing caution to the wind she took a long slow look at Tina. Tina looked right back. As they studied each other Bette began to feel a little warm.

            ‘I wonderno, don’t be silly Porter, she is just being friendly.’

            Tina watched as the small line on Bette’s brow eased to be replaced by a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

            ‘I wonder what she is thinking about. She looks like a tigress. You could get lost in those fierce eyes. I should say something.’

            “Bette,” Tina begins, only to be interrupted by Millie bring Tina’s breakfast. Millie didn’t linger long, just long enough to put down the ketchup, the plates, and to glare at Bette.

            Bette chooses to ignore Millie,” Yes, Tina?” Bette purrs. Tina had never heard her name sound like that before so soft yet predatory, it made her head swim.

            “Yes, how long are you going to stay in town now that he cancelled on you? If you still want to see him maybe I could be of some assistance.”

            It took longer than it should have for Bette to absorb what Tina had just said to her. Bette was distracted by the perfect little bites Tina was delicately putting into her mouth. Bette felt a pang of jealousy toward the lucky fork that kept brushing against Tina’s soft pink lips.

            “Assistance?” Bette tore her eyes away from Tina’s lips bring them back to the intelligent brown eyes.

            “Yes, I know Junior canceled on you. I can guarantee that he forgot the festival was this week. No one really works during the festival.” Tina had finished with her eggs and had moved on to the home fries.

            “Junior? You mean C.J. Mackenzie? He canceled on me to attend a week long festival?” The smile that had lingered on her face since meeting Tina faded. She did not take kindly to being canceled on under normal circumstances. To be canceled on after she had flown across country was unacceptable. Bette was infuriated; there was no way she was going to let this artist get away that easily.      

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I need someone to carry me home
Days go by, I still want to know what it’s like to be a butterfly”

“What?” Both Bette and Charlotte look at Alice. She had curled up into a ball on the sofa. She had her head on Charlotte thigh, breathing deeply in her sleep.

Charlotte looked down at her, “She looks like a cat.”