Chapter Eight
Previously:
As they kissed, Tina felt her heart singing. She wouldn’t have to secretly think about the kiss they shared in Bette’s recess room, or those that the brunette “friendly” printed on her cheek. She had that all in her arms and on her lips now.

Bette pulled up slowly and reluctantly because one storming Alice rushed toward where they stood. “Here comes the gossip queen. I’m really sorry I’m her friend.” She sighed in a low voice and made Tina blush and laugh at the same time.
“Ha! I knew something was up with the two of you. Told ya Shane!” Alice rolled her eyes the way she always did and yelled to the skinny short hair girl dragging her feet behind her.
Shane shook her head and looked over to Bette. “I tried my best to keep her away from you, man.”
Bette dismissed her with a wave of hand. “Look, Al, I don’t care if you know or tell anything to anybody. Go ahead. I’m taking my girl to dinner.”
“But I need a ride home, too.” The dirty blonde haired girl protested.
Shane observed the scene before her with a grin. She tapped Alice on the shoulder and whispered something to her ultimate devastation. “Uh… I probably should have told you, Bette rode her Cavalier today.” There was no way the brunette would let anybody, especially Alice who accidentally left a scratch on her old green ’87 heritage softail while hopping onto it for the last time, go near her Cavalier.
“True. If I were you, I’d start looking for Dana right now.” Bette shrugged and put her hand on the small of Tina’s back, escorting themselves out of the building.
Alice had her mouth hang agape and her eyes bugged out while Shane exchanged a nod with the brunette.
Bette taking her to dine—though she hardly expressed a liking in Alice and all her talking, she still hanged with her friends for most of the time after class—meant a lot to Tina. As she wrapped her hand on the brunette’s strong waist, she knew this would be a sweet moment that she’d always want to go back to.
The dinner was fine, probably was not what the brunette always had because she used to spend more than ten dollars on a meal, but a simple Cobb salad, some fries and a bottle of soda would do it. However, Bette still had to boss people around the place until the manager found them a private room. She just couldn’t stand the noise and the crowd of those “less fortunate”.
It indeed irritated the blonde to no end. If it wasn’t for her cute pretty face, Tina would have ranted on her already. So strategically, for her own sake that she wouldn’t hit the brunette, she changed the subject of topic. During the next half hour of their time at the diner, they discussed about current movies and music. Tina had been doing some research on classical violin pieces and impressed her enthusiastic companion.
“So, are you having fun?” Bette draped an arm across the back of the chair and asked. “I really like spending time with you, T. Maybe we should go to the theater next time.”
Tina smiled at the sweetness in her voice. She knew the brunette was trying to take things slowly and be considerate. “Yes, I am. And I’d love to go with you.”
“Can we go out on Saturday night? The Planet is having a country theme night. Marina is really excited about it. Alice is going for sure, Shane might go because there’s this cute little Latina DJ she digs.” Bette expectedly leaned forward to present the invitation.
The blonde was tempted. But she had job, three different jobs to be exact, on Saturday at the Whole Food mall, the language training center, and the little Italian restaurant. “I’m sorry, Bette. But I have jobs on weekends.”
“Awww, that’s too bad.” The brunette’s shoulders dropped in disappointment. Her big brown eyes instantly lit with crystal expectation alike that of a puppy waiting to be petted. “Quit the job and come with me… please?”
“I don’t think I can. Daddy said just last night that money is tight and we can’t afford to…”
“Let me help, Tina. I won’t allow my girlfriend work triple shifts to get pass the days. Quit your jobs.” She tried to sound with more authority.
“Bette, that’s not gonna work. Daddy and I need our jobs. Money doesn’t grow on trees and everything costs a lot in California.” Tina frowned deeply. She knew it all along that dating someone from the Porter family was going to be difficult because of the ways they were brought up and their values were not in sync.
The brunette sighed, sitting up from her chair and working on her own wording for further persuasion. “Look, I don’t want you to get this the wrong way. But if you’re insisting on doing a job, I want you to at least work at mine.”
“What do you mean?”
“As you know, grandma wants me at the company from time to time. I figured that there’s no way I’m gonna do the boring-ass job unless… someone makes it less boring.” With a mischievous grin, Bette winked. She then grabbed the blonde’s pale hand. “Please? It’s just some graphic analysis and document stuff and it’s not gonna be like I’m buying you or anything.” She felt silly, like a needy little teenage girl with her first crush, but then she let the butterflies in her stomach flap like crazy over the possibility of their little work-time rendezvous.
Obviously the blonde was enticed. She chewed on her lower lip while thinking of the proposition as the brunette stared at her with those impossibly amazing sparkles in her big chocolate hued eyes. She had to smile at that. “Ok, I’ll ask my dad.”
“Oh, let me do the talking. I can be very persuasive when I want to.” A huge grin nearly broke the brunette’s face in two. She arched a brow and twirled a strand of blonde thread in her hand, demonstrating her persuasiveness.
Tina rolled her eyes at the movement. “Save your charm, Porter.”
“Oh, come on! You know you can’t resist this beautiful face.” Bette faked a pout and leaned closer, fluttering her eye lashes.
The intended pitiable face made the blonde laugh. She slapped the kidding girl on the arm. Bette snorted a laughed as well, but she stayed close. The set of hazel eyes traveled from the brown ones to the curve of those thin lips. Tina thought of how mean and vicious they used to be, but now, they were just plain wonderful. As the moment lingered, she swallowed subconsciously and blushed.
Bette was enjoying the effect she had on her girlfriend. And quite to her surprise, but also delight, Tina leaned into the last several inches of distance and pressed the rosy lips lightly on hers. She let go the strand and cupped the back of Tina’s head to hold her in place.
It felt so natural and spontaneous that both of them sighed contently into the kiss. They gingerly moved against each other, absorbing the intimacy with little rush but more passion. Tina could hear her own pulse quickening up at the sound of their lips caressing one another. Her face and neck were turning pink but she did not want it to end any time soon.
Bette tasted her own lip gloss on the blonde’s lips. Joy burst in her chest at the taste. And because of that, she knew she wanted more. Boldly, but gently so not to scare her loving company, she sucked on the rosy flesh as well as stealing her tongue into Tina’s mouth, massaging against the hot softness.
The devoted French kiss had the blonde’s one hand grip tightly on Bette’s shirt, the other buried in her thick dark waves of silky hair. She never could have imagined a kiss like this. But she was a quick learner. She mimicked her partner’s movement, circling her tongue to explore and taste, and was pleased to hear a throaty groan from the not-so-composed brunette.
As if it was not of her control, Bette slid her hand down, firstly arriving at Tina’s flushing neck, then her feminine collar bone, then the fabric of her shirt, and finally at the fully-clothed soft mound. Usually, second base was not a problem for her. Her mind would have been yelling “Scored!” and laughing hysterically. But she couldn’t help her hand from trembling a little. The warmth and the litheness underneath her palm were so desirable.
While contemplating what was going on, the blonde shivered. A tingling wave shot through her body and stimulated her senses. Things around her became amplified, the sound of their tongues dancing together, the scent of Bette’s perfume, the sweetness in her mouth, and the firm hand on her breast. Yet she did not feel pressured by the intensity at all, but safe, very secured. She let a small moan escape her lips, and covered Bette’s larger hand with hers.
By the time, the brunette had to pull back for air. She didn’t trust herself that she could stop if things got just a tad hotter than it already was. Letting her hand off reluctantly, she gulped in a large amount of oxygen with heaving chest and cleared her throat. “Uhmmm… let’s, let’s get going. I’ll take you home.”
Tina thought the holding-back gesture was really sweet of Bette. She stood up a bit dizzy, not having to look into a mirror to know how red she had become. “Ok. Oh, have you done math homework?” She had seen the brunette do mental arithmetic, when she discussed with Alice about the number of girls Shane could sleep with till graduation at her average efficiency, and was impressed that she actually could calculate very fast, only if Bette studied harder.
“No, forgot we have homework. You gonna help me with it later?”
“But my dad should be home.”
“Oh good, then I can talk to him today. Hopefully we get to hang out this weekend.” Bette said cheerfully and walked them out of the door, leaving a generous tip to the poorly bombarded “less-fortunate” waiter.
It set the blonde’s nerve. She climbed up onto Bette’s motor with panic rising in her heart. Not that she didn’t trust Bette with her dad, but she just didn’t like the probability of agitating her father to do something crazier by exposing the brunette to him. And it was when she realized that, comparing to help her father on his scam, she wanted to protect Bette.