"That just sounds like sexual desire," Val observed.

."Nono. I love the way she listens to me so carefully. She smiles at all the right spots; she frowns at all the right spots; she asks questions at all the right spots; she gives me encouraging looks to continue. When I'm in a room with her, nobody else exists."

"I believe that if she took me in her arms, I would feel safe forever," Tina concluded.

Val's mouth had dropped slightly open listening to Tina. She closed her mouth, sighed and was quiet. She realized she had just heard a pretty good definition of love.

"What should I do?" Tina asked.

"Stay away from her," Val counseled wearily. "You'll be so out of your league."

Tina shook her head. She was disconcerted that Val was so opposed to Bette. And, truthfully, she was somewhat bothered by the fact that Bette was a player. Bette had her pick of gorgeous, experienced woman. And Tina felt she might be out of her league.

"What do you want to do?" asked Val.

"I want to have a relationship with her."

"Bette Porter doesn't do relationships," Val warned. Listen to me, listen to me, she thought.

"What do you mean--she doesn't do relationships?"

"What I know is that she has one-night stands. Occasionally she is with a woman for a few weeks or maybe a couple of months, but that's it. The woman she's with now, she's been with a month or so. That's a pretty long time for Bette."

"The redhead?"

"Yeah."

"How do you know this?" asked Tina.

"Everybody knows about Bette," explained Val. "She a kind of celebrity in the lesbian world of West Hollywood. People talk about who she sleeps with, who she actually dates for a while."

"There are no gossip column stories about her, like movie celebrities, but people know. They know. I'll bet her activities generate a lot of email. There's probably a 'Bette Alert.' In fact, the gossip drums may be beating right now about Bette and some unknown blond she had dinner with tonight. They're probably trying to figure out who you are."

Val thought for a moment: "She's a fantasy person for many. She's beautiful, intelligent, cool, professionally successful. I suspect that most women in WeHo would like to sleep with Bette Porter or be Bette Porter."

Val added that she had seen Bette and her present girlfriend at Milk. Then Val had to explain to Tina what Milk was, a lesbian night club. You could get drinks and dance and it was a major place for girls to hit on girls.

"Sue and I go there quite often," Val explained.

"Do you and Sue hit on women?" Tina asked curiously.

"No," Val laughed. "We like to drink and dance and watch all the drama play out. Who's hitting on whom. Who's successful and who isn't. Bette's always successful."

"I want to be with her."

"But Tina, maybe she doesn't want to be with you. Didn't you tell me that she

said, 'No?'"

"It doesn't matter," explained Tina.

"Oh, please. You're not going to tell me that 'no' really means 'yes?'"

"She was so caring about not slamming the car door and hurting me."

"So she cares about you because she didn't want to fracture your leg?"

"Of course not, but Val, she kissed me back. She kissed me back."

"Tina," pleaded Val, "she'll break your heart. If you let her know that you want to sleep with her, believe me, she'll sleep with you. It will last, maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months, but then she'll be gone. She'll hurt you. Is that what you want?"

"Maybe, she'll fall in love with me."

"Well."

"Even if she doesn't ever love me, I have to be with her. Even if it's for a short time." Then Tina looked at Val, "Did you ever meet someone and know instantly that you loved her? At first sight? Have you ever touched a person's hand for the first time and thought you might explode? Have you ever slept with someone you were crazy in love with?"

"No.." answered Val thoughtfully.

"Wouldn't you like to feel that?"

"But Tina, Bette Porter. She'll break your heart." Val sighed resignedly, "Well, at least you won't get pregnant."

Tina looked at Val, pleased to hear that she had regained her sense of humor. But Val was looking at the floor, not smiling. She wasn't kidding. She was worried.

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

"What am I going to do now?" Bette said. "Well, I'm certainly not going to call her. I'll try to avoid her."

"Are you falling in love?"

"Of course not. Don't be silly."

"You seem pretty interested in this girl," observed Alice.