Tina heard the doorbell just as she was fastening the clasp on her necklace. She glanced in the vanity mirror as she walked by, closed the bathroom and made her way to the front door.

She opened it to see Bette greet her with a smile that left her momentarily motionless. She regained her sense of propriety to invite her guest inside.

“You’re right, it was easy to find,” Bette said as she entered and slipped off her shoes. “Your directions were excellent.”

“Come on in,” Tina said. “Can I offer you a tour?”

“I’d love one. Seems like a unique floor plan,” Bette said, glancing around the room. “Not your typical California condo.”

“That was what sold me on it,” Tina agreed. “I didn’t want to live in a box.”

“A real sense of space,” Bette looked up and marvelled at the height of the ceilings.

 “Come with me,” Tina started up the short staircase. “I’ll show you the kitchen.”

“It’s huge!” Bette commented as they went through the doorway. “This place is great!”

“Oh but I pay a price by having a small bedroom,” Tina said. “I’ll show you.”

Tina opened the bedroom door, but halted abruptly when she hit the end of the queen size bed that took up most of the room. She edged along the side of the bed to allow Bette entrance.

“You really took the term bedroom literally,” Bette smiled. “Not any room for much else.”

Tina laughed.

“Well, all I do in here is sleep, so I thought I’d focus on making the rest of the house suitable for living.”

“Nothing but sleep hey,” Bette teased. She turned away, missing the flush that rose in Tina’s cheeks.

Tina chose to ignore Bette’s comments.

“Oh, I brought a little something for you,” Bette said. “In lieu of flowers.”

She reached into the pocket of her suit jacket and withdrew a long velvet jewellery box.

“That’s so sweet of you,” Tina reached forward and let Bette place the box in her hand. “Should I open it now?”

“Yes, you should,” Bette laughed. “The gift is kind of time sensitive.”

Tina pulled the spring-loaded lid up slowly before turning the container sideways to read the tickets.

“The symphony this Saturday at the Hollywood Bowl,” Tina smiled. “That’s lovely, thank you.”

“I thought we could set up our next date before we progressed too far on this one,” Bette said.

“You’re an optimist aren’t you?”

“Just going with my intuition,” Bette replied.

Tina closed the box and set it on a small shelf beside the head of the bed before turning back to Bette. She leaned in and kissed Bette lightly on the cheek. Bette turned her head and grazed her lips on Tina’s face as she retreated. The electricity was apparent to both of them, but neither wanted to rush into anything. After all, this was only their first date.

Without words they exited the bedroom and returned to the kitchen.

“What can I get you to drink?” Tina asked. “I have a chardonnay chilling, and quite a nice Cabernet.”

Bette spied the bottle of red on the countertop behind Tina.

“Let’s go with the Cabernet,” Bette said. “But just one glass or we might have a challenge making our dinner reservation.”

Tina proceeded to remove the cork from the bottle and retrieved two glasses from the cupboard. She was meticulous as she expertly created the perfect pour in each glass, before handing one to Bette.

“It would seem as though you’ve done this before,” Bette said as she took the glass.

“I have indeed poured my fair share of wine, but not often for my own consumption,” Tina replied. “I worked my way through college as a server.”

Bette inhaled the bouquet from the glass before taking a sip.

“That is a beautiful wine,” she commended Tina’s selection. “Delicious.”

She set her glass down on the counter and stepped closer to Tina with a questioning look in her eye. Tina answered by setting her glass down as well.

Bette leaned in and kissed Tina directly on the lips.

“I can taste the wine on your lips,” Tina said quietly. “It’s good, but I’d rather taste you.”

Tina realized too late the implication of what she had said. But it was Bette’s turn to blush at the suggestion of intimacy between them. Instead of admitting to being as flustered as she was, she kissed Tina again. Deeper. Until she heard a gentle whimper escape from her. She felt Tina’s arms make their way around her neck. Bette backed her up to the counter as they searched each other.

Tina broke their kiss and traced her fingers around Bette’s lips.

“Cancel the reservation,” Tina stated with authority, nodding toward the phone.

Bette picked it up and did as she was told.

“You must eat there regularly,” Tina said as Bette completed the call and hung up the phone. “To know the number off the top of your head, I mean.”

“I order take out there a lot,” Bette admitted. “My culinary skills are the object of derision among my friends.”

“Bette, I thought I should say…” Tina’s voice faded to nothing.

“What?” Bette encouraged her.

“It’s just that…” silence won out again.

“Tina, whatever’s on your mind, it’s okay,” Bette said. “Really.”

“Just because I want to stay in tonight doesn’t mean I’m quite prepared for everything that could potentially happen between us.”

Bette took Tina’s hands in hers.

“There’s no rush. Not at all. And I’m just as happy to stay here and visit and not worry about freeway traffic, restaurant crowds…and yet be able to get to know you.”

“I wanted to make it clear, that’s all.”

“I appreciate it,” Bette said. “But I’m a patient person. And I’m not above fooling around a bit you know.” She grinned as she delivered her last statement. “In fact, I think it’s kind of fun to know nothing’s going to happen.”