It always boiled down to sex. Every thing in life was about sex thought Tina. She thought back to the early days with Bette. Their sexual etudes had been overly intense and Tina felt as though she could not get enough.
She smiled as she recalled how tired she had been during that time.
Now the only reason she was tired was because of having to change or feed Angelica.

She delighted in pinning Bette to some wall and stroking her until she cried out in pleasure.

Bette was away for the week on a contract and Tina found that she initially welcomed the time alone, well just her and her daughter. It wasn't that she didn't love living with Bette any more, it was just this since their life altering changes, Tina had found this new Bette lacking and too eager to please.

'That's the problem,' thought Tina as she snapped off the deadhead off of a sunflower, 'she's lost her edge, she's become too passive.'

Even Kit had noticed the changes.

"Are you okay baby girl?" Kit asked her sister one day whilst she sat quietly sipping some tea waiting for Tina and Angie.


"I'm good Kit," Bette smiled, but Kit noticed that it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"How are things between you and Tina?" she tried to draw Bette out of herself, "Are you behaving yourself?"

"Kit!" Bette smiled more warmly this time, but there was still something lacking. Kit figured she would leave it for now and she filed her concerns away under things to do in the immediate future.

Although they hadn't spoken anymore about the open relationship thing, while Bette was away Tina saw an opportunity to test the waters a little. Firstly she had reinstated her friendship with Helena, and whenever Bette was out of town Tina would hang out with Helena and her children, if they were around. She did this without the knowledge of any of her other friends as she didn't want it to get back to Bette. After all there was still a lot of animosity between Helena and Bette and Tina saw no reason to fuel their hatred.

One afternoon, Tina took a chance and invited Helena round to the house for a spontaneous barbeque. Helena turned up with her two children and her new babysitter, Henry and his son Hank jr who was three.

The impromptu setting was in full swing when Henry decided to strip down to his trunks and join the children in the pool. Tina and Helena watched with amusement as Wilson, Jung Ying and Hank all splashed around Henry, constantly dunking his head under the water.

"He's very good with them," Tina smiled warmly whilst looking on.

"Yes, he is excellent, I'm glad that he was recommended to me because Wilson just adores him and I thought that it was time that Wilson had a male influence in his life." Helena said.

Tina watched Henry carefully. It had been a long time since she had looked closely at a male form and she found herself suddenly drawn to the way the water rippled over his strong muscled torso. When Henry picked up two of the children in each hand his biceps flexed even more and Tina involuntarily imagined what it would be like to be held forcefully by those arms. She blushed at the thought and blinked quickly.

"How long has he worked for you Helena?" she asked trying to erase the thoughts and ignore her sudden attraction.

"Oh not long, I stole him from a family my mother knows in Beverly Hills," she answered.
Henry was wearing tight black swimming trunks and as he exited the pool Tina found herself looking at his package.
'What the hell!' she thought, 'I'm gay, what the hell am I doing undressing the man!' she tried to reason with herself, but their was no denying what she was feeling.

"Tina, I'm going to have to leave shortly, the children and I are staying in San Diego for the rest of the week and I'm getting my driver to take us there tonight, so we need to get home to pack."

"Okay, well thanks for coming over to hang with us," Tina responded.

"Do you mind if we stay on for a bit?" Henry spoke more to Tina than to Helena.

"Yeah sure," Tina said quietly as she reached over to the playpen and picked up her daughter.

They sat side by side watching their children sleep under the large patio umbrella and Henry's close proximity was causing Tina some consternation. She had given up on questioning why she was attracted to him and decided to just get to know the handsome dark haired man.

"So how long have you and Bette been together?" he asked. They had been talking about relationships and he had just explained the difficulties he had initially trying to juggle his work around getting time with his son after his divorce.

"We've had some problemsbut all in all we have been together for eight and a half years."

"Problems? Are they resolved now?" he asked again

"We're a work in progress," Tina smiled, "right now we're looking at having an open relationship."

Henry raised an eyebrow at this revelation. "Was that her suggestion or yours?"

"Mine, why do ask?" Tina moved to retrieve a gurgling Angelica who had just woken up.

"Oh no reason, I just wanted to know how you might have felt about it. May I?" Henry reached out to take Angelica.

"Sureshe really likes men," Tina said softly. She watched Henry as he stood and gently bounced Angie who was trying to get agitated but failing miserably under Henry's gentle motion. As Tina looked on fascinated she moved her hand to caress her daughter's leg but inadvertently stroked Henry's taut stomach instead. She didn't apologise and he just smiled back at her.

"She's beautiful, just like her mother," he said never once removing his eyes from Tina's.

"Yes she is." Said Tina.