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Till We Meet Again | A Bette-Tina Beginning Chapter 12

Bette stood at the New York Harbor starring across at the tall skyscrapers of Manhattan. She loved the scenery. Besides her studio, this was another refuge that she often returned to, spending countless hours just staring at the gorgeous sight before her. It was raining heavily, pelting down and she was drenched to the core, wearing only a black DKNY button-down blouse, a denim jacket and tight blue Levy jeans. Yet, she seemed oblivious to the people milling around her who were in a rush to avoid the rain. As always, she was the maverick, staunch and unflinching in the cold rain as she gazed across the water, waiting for Tina to arrive.

Bette did not have to turn around as Tina approached her—she was already attuned to the presence of the beautiful blonde. The hairs on her neck stood up as goose bumps appeared on her skin. Startled, she finally realized that she was drenched from the rain, and cold. At that precise moment, she felt a hand on her lower back that spread warmth throughout her body. Nonetheless, she shivered lightly from the fusion of warm and cold.

“Excellent time and place for a meeting Porter. Don’t you see the Weather Channel?” Tina teased sarcastically as she put her umbrella over Bette to shield her from the rain.

“No, the women newscasters are below par and…” Bette turned around eyeing Tina head to toe. She was well-accessorized for the weather with a raincoat, scarf, gloves and umbrella.

“What?” Tina said, flinching at the heat from Bette’s gaze on her skin.

“and I was hoping that you would come decked out in white so I could have fun with a see-through Tee…” Bette smirked.

“Why you…you…” Tina swatted Bette playfully across the shoulder.

“Yes, me…me is brilliant, beautiful, sexy, charismatic, strong, passionate, creative, attractive …”

“…self-centered, self-absorbed, arrogant, delusional, insecure, vain, snobbish, pompous jackass,” Tina finished for her, grinning widely.

“And you still like me enough to come out in this weather, which goes to show that you are crazy? Desperate? Or maybe fatally attracted?” Bette offered with her eyebrows up, smirking once again.

“HA! Bette, don’t flatter yourself. You called me remember?”

“After, you gave me your phone number, remember?”

“I…” Tina never got to finish her sentence as thunder rumbled and lightening split the sky. She shrieked and flung herself at Bette, letting go of the umbrella, which landed in the water, sailing away with the stormy waves.

Bette was taken by surprise; she wasn’t ready and sure-footed for Tina so they both toppled over at the impact, Bette hitting the hard-wood ground first, winching at the pain shooting up her leg but making sure to hold onto Tina tightly. They lay together as the rain continued to beat down, their bodies meshed tightly to each other, fitting perfectly. Bette slowly rubbed her back underneath the raincoat, reassuring Tina. For Tina, the lightening was far from over as jolts of current shot through every pore of her skin, spreading pain and pleasure throughout her body.

Slowly, Tina came to her senses and groaned. “Oh no…”

Bette chuckled. “T?” her voice was hoarse.

“Hmm?” she answered, breathing in Bette’s natural scent, and snuggling into her neck.

“I told you to tell me if you had other positions in mind so we could experiment without being knocked off our feet, but I can guess you like it missionary-style?” Bette mused
“Bette!” Tina punched her shoulder while giggling into her neck.

“What? I haven’t done anything and you are already screaming out my name. Wow, I must be really good in bed.”

“Please whatever, we need to get out of here before we catch a cold or worse, pneumonia. C’mon Bette.” Tina scrambled to her feet and held out her hand for Bette to take.

Bette looked at her hand and then Tina suspiciously. “Are you sure you won’t fall backwards this time?”

“If you do, I will catch you.” Tina replied affectionately.

Bette took her hand, wincing in pain as she got up. Her knee was throbbing. Tina looked at her concerned.

“Ba…Bette are you alright? Do we need to take you to the hospital?”

“No no, I do not need another tranquilizer, thank you.”

“Bette! You seem to be in pain…” Tina held her by the shoulders, gazing into her eyes.

“No…okay, yes, but I just need to sit down for a bit…”

“Alright, come with me…” Tina started to walk, pulling Bette with her, but Bette held her ground.

“Wait….wait a minute”

“What?” Tina looked at her, worriedly.

“I have something that belongs to you. Here. I took it to the jeweler and had it repaired. I hope you don’t mind.” Bette pulled out the gold chain with the cross that Tina had left behind that day.

“Oh Bette, thank you, I have been so distracted, I forgot that I never got it back from you. This…” Tina swallowed a lump in her throat, as tears threatened to spill from her eyes… “this belonged to my mother. It is the only material reminder of her that I have left…”

Tina took the chain out of Bette’s outstretched hand. She withdrew and struggled to put it on. Bette stepped closer and offered her help, her hot breathe tingling Tina’s neck as she successfully clasped the chain. Tina stepped back as Bette held on to her shoulders, gazing deeply into her eyes.

Tina swallowed nervously again, her mouth devoid of moisture.
“T?” Bette wiped the rain water from her eyes, trying to clear her vision.

“Yeah?” Tina gazed back at Bette, her eyes darting from left to right, as water dripping down from her wet hair, forehead, down her chin.

“Tell me something. Would you have married Eric if I had advised you not to?” Bette held her breathe.

“I…I don’t know…” Tina stammered, not really knowing the answer. She looked down hesitant. “Maybe…maybe not.” She looked back up at Bette, noticing the sadness and despair in her eyes. “Bette, why do you ask? What is going on?” she reached up to remove a wet curl of hair from Bette’s cheek, tucking it back behind her ear.

“Alice and I…our relationship is on the verge of breaking…we are struggling to stay together…and…I don’t know what to do…” Bette said near tears.

Tina nodded understandingly. “Same here, Bette. Eric and I have been struggling from Day 1 and it gets harder by the day…and I cannot save my relationship alone. I need a friend…Someone who can understand me and also make me understand what I am doing wrong. And who can do that better than you?” She interlaced her gloved fingers with Bette and continued… “the other day, Kit and Jack were right.”

“Two strangers. One circumstance. Friendship and then problem solved?” Bette mimicked Kit, studying Tina’s gloved hand that encased hers just perfectly.

Tina smiled. “We can give it a shot and see where it takes us. If nothing comes out of this, hey, we would have at least gained a friend.”

“True. It is a win-win situation. Especially with you getting horizontal with me…”
She earned herself another swat from Tina.

“Owww! Stop hitting me, I am already damaged goods as it is.”

“The first thing YOU need to do Ms. Porter, is to stop thinking of yourself in that way. God, you are so insecure and you hide that insecurity under a giant, intolerable egomaniac personality that does you no good. And I must say…”

“T?” Bette interrupted Tina.

“Yeah?” Tina gazed at her cross and impatient, wanting to continue jotting down Bette’s faults.

Bette hugged herself, her teeth chattering. “Can we get out of here? I am damned cold. If you haven’t noticed already, we are standing in the middle of the worst rainstorm in New York in recent times.”

Tina finally paid attention to the rain pelting down on Bette and her. “Wow Bette, I really had not noticed the weather,” Tina said sarcastically and then grinned at Bette,

“Quick, get under my raincoat.” Tina held out her raincoat for Bette, who leaned down to get under it, putting her arm around Tina’s waist. They hurried for shelter.

“I think I will take you up on that offer for a cup of coffee. That is, if it still stands.” Tina panted out.

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Bette teased back.

“Eh, think of it as a trial run.” Tina replied, rolling her eyes.

The two women laughed huddled together, hurried out of the rain and headed for some hot coffee. Neither paid any attention to the dark, ominous clouds above them. Together with the lightening and thunderstorm, it signaled anything but a smooth-sailing journey.