Bette had closed Tina's car door firmly, but not before she made sure that Tina was completely inside the car and would not be hurt by the door. Tina noticed this. She looked into her side mirror and saw Bette walk purposefully back to her car and get in quickly. Then Bette drove away. Tina sat in her car unmoving until she could no longer see the sports car. Then Tina drove away.

Bette stormed into her house, slammed the door and threw her purse. As her bag crashed against the wall, she realized she shouldn't have done that. That purse was too expensive to be thrown.

"Fuck," she said aloud, "I kissed her back. Fuck!"

She needed to talk to someone and she didn't feel like that very often. She cringed at the thought of Alice. But Alice would be interested - Alice would be there for her - Alice might even have some good advice - nobody knew her better than Alice. And Alice would probably find out anyway.

Bette phoned Alice and told her that she needed to talk---tonight, now. Alice was a little surprised, but Bette did this every once in a while and Alice was always fascinated with the romantic adventures of Bette Porter. And so it was that Bette told Alice almost the whole story. The call to Eric. The call from Tinaetc., etc., etc.

As Alice was listening to Bette's story, she could hardly keep from interrupting and yelling 'I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!' The little blond had made her move! Alice wished there had been some betting line in Las Vegas on this. She could have cleaned up. And, and, Bette was rattled. How rattled, Alice planned to find outor die trying.

"As I watched her at dinner," Bette said to Alice, "she started looking older, and more mature, and smarter. I couldn't believe that someone that sharp was with Eric. I think that's partially why I misjudged her."

Bette stopped talking and pacing and sat down. Alice watched her and when she decided Bette was through talking for the moment, she said, "Sodid anything happen?"

"What do you mean?" snapped Bette instantly. So, Alice thought, something did happen.

"What happened, Bette?"

There was a long pause, and then Bette began to speak. ".and then she just leaned over and kissed me," Bette concluded the story.

"On the lips?"

"Yes."

"And?" Alice prompted.

"I kissed her back," Bette said quietly.

"And?" When Bette was silent, Al repeated her question: "And?"

"It was OK." Bette looked at Alice kind of helplessly and shrugged.

"Just 'OK?'" Alice knew Bette wouldn't have called her to come and talk about a kiss that was just"OK." But Bette didn't add any more to her answer.

"And then you took her to her car," Alice continued when it was clear that Bette wasn't going to expand on her "OK" answer. She knew that you couldn't push Bette too much.

"Yes."

Both women sat quietly for a while. And both were amazed that Bette had been so thrown off balance by the little blondTina. Alice thought maybe she should remember the woman's nameTina. She might be seeing a great deal of her in the future. Neither quite knew what to say at this point. Bette did feel better, having gotten the incident off her chest, but what to do now?

"What are you going to do now?" asked Alice.

------------------

"I felt like a high school girl on her first date who wonders if her date is going to kiss her. And is hoping her date is going to kiss her." Tina admitted to Val.

When Tina had arrived home, she had to talk to someone or explode. Val was the perfect one. She was a good friend and she was gay. Maybe she actually knew Bette. So Tina had phoned her.

Val sat stunned. She never dreamed Tina would be interested in a woman. And Bette Porter! She was gorgeous, sexy, well-known in West Hollywood as a player. Val knew her, but certainly didn't know her personally. However, she was positive that Bette was not for Tina. It was like an innocent virgin telling her, "I met this great guy named Don Juan."

Tina continued, "So I kissed herand she kissed me back."

"Of course, she kissed you back. You're an attractive woman and Bette likes attractive women. You're fortunate she didn't have sex with you in the car." Oh, hell, Val thought, I shouldn't have said that. She understood that Tina was infatuated and starry eyed.

"Maybe that wouldn't have been so bad," Tina said quietly.

"Tina, I can see how you could be infatuated," Val said, more in control of herself. She thought the world of Tina and was afraid of her getting involved with Bette Porter.

"You must be like Bette," Tina said as Val met her eyes. "You think I'm a kid instead of a woman. WellI'm a woman and I think that.I'm falling in love with her."

"You've seen her what? Twice? How can you possibly think that you love her?"

Tina thought for a few moments.

"When I touch her, I feel like I've been hit by an electrical jolt. I love to see her smile, and laugh. When she talks about art, I want to know more about art. I love the way she drives a car and how she loves food.