Tina sat there for a moment looking at the kisses before got up from her desk. She checked her watch trying to gauge her time before she grabbed her purse and picked up the box of chocolate and walked out of her office. As she passed Cindy’s desk she told her that she was leaving a little early for her meeting and she would be back after the meeting was over. She got in her car and drove to Bette’s gallery. As she got out of the car she grabbed the box of chocolates and headed into the gallery where she found Bette standing right by Jonathan’s desk.

Bette: (seeing Tina approach her she began to smile) “Hi, Tina”

Tina: (not really showing much emotion) “Can I see you for a moment in your office?”

Bette: (trying to figure out if Tina was upset as she walked to her office) “Sure.”

Tina: (waiting until Bette closed the door before she spoke) “Bette…I don’t think I can accept these…”

Both of them stood there, neither of them saying a word as Tina’s last words hung there between them. When Tina had left her office, she had intended to come and return the kisses to Bette and tell her that she wanted the real thing. But as she stood there looking at Bette, she finally admitted to herself that she was falling in love with Bette. It scared her to death and inside she was beginning to panic.

Tina: (holding out the box of chocolate to Bette) “I’m sorry but I can’t accept these right now. It’s not fair to you.”

Bette: (her heart was in her stomach after hearing Tina’s words, but she moved a little closer to Tina but not reaching for the box) “Tina I”

Tina: (trying to calm her nerves) “Please don’t say anything. I just came by toto return these to you.” To herself she thought ‘You liar! You came by to ask her to kiss you and now you are running away again.’

Bette: (sadness crossing her face) “Tina I”

Tina: (once again interrupting Bette) “I have to go I am supposed to be at a meeting.”

Bette: (stunned by what was happening) “But”

Tina: (leaning in and gently kissing Bette on the cheek before she turned and walked briskly out the door) “I’m sorry.”

As Tina walked out of Bette’s office, she was berating herself for being a coward as a tear ran down her cheek. By the time she made it to her car, the tears were freely flowing. She sat there crying for several minutes trying to figure out why she had run and asking herself ‘what have I done?’ but she couldn’t allow herself the time she needed to try and figure things out. She was due in a meeting in about 20 minutes and if she hurried, she just might make it on time.

As Tina sat in her car, Bette was in her office now sitting in her chair trying to figure out what in the ***** just happened. She was stunned and experience a feeling, as if a piece of her heart if not all of it had been ripped out of her chest. Bette knew that part of her heart had walked out the door with Tina.

Bette knew that with her gifts she had overwhelmed Tina but she hadn’t meant to push her too hard. She had bought the gifts because she genuinely wanted Tina to know that she was thinking of her. Bette wanted to show her that maybe there was a chance she could be everything that Tina needed in her life.

Bette sat there trying to figure out if there was anything that she could do to make this right but in the end she made a decision that she would try to just let it go even if her heart was breaking into a million pieces. She made a promise to herself that she would leave Tina alone, because that is what Tina wanted, even if it killed her.

Tina and Bette spent their afternoon and evening separately but each one thinking about the other. Neither of them was happy but they each felt that they were doing what they had to do.

By the time Friday morning came around, neither of them had slept much. No matter how they tried to make themselves get up and go to work, they couldn’t do it. Tina called Cindy to inform her that she wouldn’t be in at about the same time that Bette called Jonathan and told him the same thing.

Tina lay there in bed for a long while fighting with herself over what her true feelings were for Bette and trying to figure out what she really wanted in her life. She eventually tired of lying in bed so she got up, took a shower and got dressed. She sat at her kitchen table trying to read the morning paper but it seemed as if the paper was filled with bad news and sadness so she sat it aside. She certainly didn’t need more sadness than was she was feeling right now.

As Tina sat in her apartment, it seemed as if the walls were closing in on her. She grabbed her keys and headed out trying to find a quiet peaceful place to think. She needed to see if she really could completely walk away from Bette and not take that final chance to commit to a real relationship with her.

Bette spent her morning sitting on her couch and trying to work on her laptop but the words were just a blur. After several hours of accomplishing nothing, she gave up and shut it down. She went and took a shower and got dressed. She decided that she would head to the Planet and pick up some breakfast. Maybe head down to her favorite beach and soak in some fresh air. Maybe try to figure out a way to forget about the beautiful blond straight girl that had somehow captured her heart.

Both women wound up at the beach where they shared their first sunset together but neither one of them knew the other was there. They were sitting there oblivious to the fact that the person they were each thinking about was only about a 100 feet away from them.

When Tina arrived at the beach, she quickly scanned the beach trying to find what she thought would be a peaceful place. When she located one, she spread the blanket she had brought and sat down and watched as some children down the way from her played in the water. She enjoyed watching their antics for a while and couldn’t help but think that someday she wanted a family of her own. And with those thoughts, she wondered if she allowed herself to commit to a real relationship with Bette and they made it work if she could have the family she wanted. As she realized where her thoughts had taken her, she wondered just how on Earth in only two weeks time, she had managed to feel something so deeply for someone.

Bette had arrived before Tina and she had spread out her blanket and taken out the breakfast she brought from the Planet. She began to eat but after a few bites she had tossed it back into the sack, as she realized she really had no appetite. She lay back on the blanket and enjoyed the California sun on her face. The sun soon warmed her up and made her sleepy and she drifted off to sleep.

She was woken up by the sound of children laughing a little ways down the beach. She checked her watch and was surprised to find that she had been asleep for almost an hour. She sat up for a while watching the waves, as they rolled in trying to find some answers to the questions running through her mind.

Finally, finding no answers, she got up and gathered up her things and started to walk towards her car when she saw Tina sitting there. Bette stopped for a moment and watched her as she sat there. She wanted to go to her and to talk but she had made a promise to herself that she would leave Tina alone. However, she couldn’t resist standing there and taking one long last look at Tina before she moved on.

As Tina sat there, she felt someone’s eyes on her. When she turned to look, she saw Bette standing there. Both women froze for a moment staring into each other’s eyes and unsure what to do. Bette broke eye contact first and made her way over to where Tina was sitting.

Bette: (trying to be nonchalant) “Hi.”

Tina: (looking up in to Bette’s eyes) “Hi.”

Bette: (trying to keep the emotion out of her voice) “I’m surprised to see you here.”

Tina: “I took the day off and wanted to spend some time in a peaceful place.”

Bette: (talking without thinking) “Great minds think alike. (then realizing what she said) Sorry.”

Tina: (smiling) “That’s okay. It’s the truth.”

Bette: “Tina, would you mind if I sat down with you for a moment? I have something I need to say.”

Tina: (moving over to make room for Bette on the blanket) “Okay.”

Bette: (sitting down) “I promise I won’t stay but a minute. I just wanted to tell you that I am truly sorry for pushing too hard. I never meant to upset you. I know you made your decision and I will abide by it but running in to you like this gives me a chance to apologize.”

Tina: (turning so that she was looking at Bette) “You don’t need to apologize.”

Bette: (getting up and fighting the urge to bend over and gently touch her lips to Tina’s) “Well I better get going. It was nice getting to know you, Tina Kennard. I hope you have a wonderful life. Enjoy your day.”

Bette turned and began to walk away and as she did, a tear ran down her cheek.