"She's not a girl. She's twenty-five." Bette pointed out.

"I stand corrected; You're seem pretty interested in this mature woman."

Bette gave Alice an annoyed look: "I am interested in her sexually, but that's all You were right; she has many physical attributes that I like. Maybe I'm the sex maniac that you always claim I am."

"She might just want to experiment. You know--just to see what it's like to sleep with a woman," Alice suggested.

"Tina's not like that," Bette said quickly.

"Uh, huh," Alice said thinking that Bette had been mighty quick to defend Tina. Hmmm.

Bette had been sexually attracted to many women, Alice thought. But she had never worried about sleeping with them or not sleeping with them. If they were both interested, Bette just slept with them.

"Why don't you just sleep with her?"

"I don't want to hurt her," Bette responded.

"Why do you think that would hurt her? Alice asked curiously.

"Women like that want more."

"Well, probably." Alice agreed with Bette. They both thought that Tina's interest wouldn't stop at the bedroom.

"I'll lie to her if I have to," Bette continued.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell her that I kissed her because I missed my girlfriend. That I sent her a message that I shouldn't have because I was lonely for Gillian."

"You know," said Alice slowly, "once Gillian gets back, you could be having good sex with her and forget this girl...woman."

"Maybe."

"Think of Tina when you're having sex with Gillian." Alice recommended.

Bette gave Alice an exasperated frown.

"Well, it's worked for me," Alice said defensively.