Dana was bent and her head and neck were just below Lara’s.   Lara breathed in her scent and felt herself flush.  “You’re still wearing that fragrance?  It’s really spectacular on you.  Really.”

Dana turned her head and grinned at her.  “Thanks.”  She cleared her throat and turned back to the meal plan.  “There’s a lot of variety in breakfast.  Frankly, I’m sick of bran muffins and an apple or banana everyday.”

“Well, I thought about you and what you might need.”

“You think about me?”  Dana asked intrigued, but it came out like a seduction.

Lara couldn’t help herself.  She had to touch her.  Her hand came up to rest on Dana’s back and she gently rubbed it, exhaling a breath of satisfaction to feel this back she was once so familiar with.  Dana felt something, too and if she didn’t extricate herself from it, she knew she’d end up leading Lara to Alice’s bed.  She stood up straight.  “Lara?” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, Dana.  I want to be your friend, but it’s really hard.  I still want you so much.”

Dana loved Alice, she knew this, but she had strong feelings for Lara.  Being with Lara wasn’t like it was with Tonya.  Tonya was overbearing and Dana felt like she was on an out-of-control ride with her, not really aware of where the ride was taking her, but unable to get it to stop.  She and Lara had been romantic, fun, exciting, and different.  Lara had been the first woman that Dana had truly wanted in a long time who wanted her just as much.  It had been at the wrong time.  If they had only started out a few months later, they would have had a relationship that worked.  But she loved Alice.  She really loved her.  “If I hadn’t screamed at you that day at the Club…”  Dana shook her head.  “I’ll never forget the look on your face.  God, I was so pissed that you were acting hurt when all you were doing was hurting me.  But I knew I was wrong, Lara.  I so knew that you were right.”

“I pushed it and shouldn’t have.”  They had talked on this subject many times, but Dana kept apologizing and lobbing it over to Lara who would apologize, too, before sending the subject back to Dana.

“It was the push I needed.”  The two women were standing inches apart and if either one of them had moved their heads the space of a quarter, their lips would have met.  When one moved in, the other moved back.  Both knew that if the kiss happened, it wouldn’t be the last.  Finally, Lara stepped back, but kept the connection by lightly caressing the side of Dana’s face with the palm of her hand.  “I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship.  I should leave.”