Bette was disturbed from her daydream by Ted…who nudged her to take the desert. It was some ugly fruitcake being passed around so bette declined. Ted shrugged and took her piece. Bette looked at him…something was wrong with that guy. his forehead was too big. Bette took a sip of cider and smiled at vaila who was looking at her with some twinkle in her eye. She was seated opposite two chairs down from Bette…and all evening Bette had tried not to look at her so much. ***** that woman was so attractive. But this time Bette had been trying hard to combat those feelings. she had been hurt before with Kirsten….slow and easy…rather than fast and ***** hard and hurtful. Their courtship was interesting. It was so slow…notihng was said to actually underline what was being felt and recieved. Vaila just paid Bette a little more attention, in a way only Bette could know was different. Bette had played that game before….a slow seduction. she had played it with Tina…all those years ago.

 After the ugly fruitcake desert the guests were now standing and sitting around the huge living room sipping more champagne. Discussing importnant art *****. Really…even though Bette would always love art…there was a limit to how pointless some of the hoohaw stuff people gave became. And anyway she needed to pee. Bette put down her cider and walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor, trying not to look at a man and woman making out in the other hallway. The bathroom was at the end of the hall and Bette nabbed it quickly. The inside was black marble…***** beautiful. Bette felt honored to piss in it.

 After washing up and making sure she didn’t look to old…Bette really was attractive. She looked in her forties, pretty good for someone in her middle fifties. Once out of the bathroom she froze. Vaila was coming up the stairs. So she quickly nipped into the master bedroom and pretended to look at the paintings there. Unfortunetly Vaila saw her scramble in there and followed her. “Are you trying to avoid me Bette?…if you want to leave just….tell me” Bette turned around. Vaila was standing there in a black dress and simple necklace, ***** amazing. And her voice was so quiet, so gentle….so soothing. Bette felt her way to the bed and sat down on it. It was soft and the comforter felt wonderful. Vaila stood for a minute….and while Bette looked down between her feet she sat down too. “I take it by you silence you dont mind if i stay” Bette nodded only slightly…why did she feel so paralysed around this woman? Vaila, with one pale arm, reached up…a few seconds later touched Bette on the shoulder. “Im just…drawn to you…attracted to you…i know you’ve lost Tina, an di dont know if you want to…maybe spend more time together” Vaila had hit the mark. Bette felt her insides twist….hearing Tina’s name was hard. Because Vaila reminded Bette of her.