I know that I have never felt this way about anyone before, but Bette’s a woman and I’m straight.  Or am I?  And is she?  I’ve always believed love is love, but now that it’s staring at me in the form of a woman, I just don’t know.  I do know that it felt amazing to look into her eyes and to feel her touch.  I so badly wanted to kiss her, hell, do more than kiss her.  What if she didn’t feel the same way?  No, she did.  She had to.  I saw it in her eyes.  But what would my parents and family and friends say?  Should I even care what they think?  If they knew how much I loved this woman they would understand. 

         Tina’s last thought finally brought her clarity.

        Damn it, Tina.  You’ve been a fool.  You know what you need to do. 

        Tina pulled out her cell phone as she turned her car around and headed toward the place she knew she had to be.  A smile spread across her face as she felt her newfound strength.

***************

         Before James walked back into Bette’s office, he tried to get rid of the grin that had formed on his face from the phone call he’d just received.

        “Bette, that was someone from Alpha Productions and they’re sending someone back over to do a few follow-up things.”

        “Yeah, okay, whatever.  I’m going to do it, James, right now,” she said as she picked up the phone to start dialing.

        James stood there wondering what to do.  The look Bette gave him told him he should leave and he did.

        Bette straightened her suit and fixed her hair as she waited for Tina to answer.

       “Tina Kennard.”

        Bette’s heart melted at the sound of her voice and name.

        “Tina, hello, this is Bette Porter.”

         A smile spread across her face as she heard Bette’s voice speak her name.

        “Oh, hi you.”

         Bette got a little flushed.  Is she flirting with me?

         “I was actually…”

         “Bette, I hate to interrupt but I’m just about to walk into a meeting.”

         “Oh,” Bette’s heart sank, “I see.  Well, maybe I’ll catch you some other time.”

         “You can count on it,” Tina said with a grin, “Talk to you soon, Bette.”

         “Okay.  Bye, Tina.”

          Well, that was weird.  She was definitely flirting with me, I think, but she was in a rush to get off the phone.  She probably did have a meeting.  Don’t stress about it.  You’re still on top of the game, Porter.

          Bette’s thoughts were interrupted by a brief knock and James entering her office.

         “So, how’d it go?” he asked.

         “Good, I think.”

         “You think?  Okay, well, that person from Alpha Productions is here.”

         “Wait, what?”

         “I told you earlier they had called and were sending someone over.  Don’t you remember?

         “Of course,” Bette lied through her teeth, “show them in.”

         This is great actually.  I can pump whoever it is for information about Tina.  Hopefully it’s that Aaron guy; they seem to be pretty close. 

        “Hello, Bette.”

         Bette shot her head up to look at the person whose voice she’d recognized.

        “Tina!”