Her Portrait Is Black and White

A New Plan

Bette had had a very long day at the gallery the artist she was currently working was giving her a massive headache. He wanted things his way and his way only. He had threaten to not even show his work today because of the way the Bette would like to show the pieces. She closed the front door and lent against it taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She had always felt safe the moment she came home, it was like the stress just drifted away. She opened her eyes and smiled. Tina was looking at her from the kitchen table, a pencil behind her ear.

"Are you okay baby?" Tina asked,

"Just one of those days." Bette said, putting her bag down onto the chair near the door.

"Bad?" Tina asked, getting up, she walked over to Bette and gently pushed her hair behind her ear,

"Michael is hard work,"

"Agh, throwing his toys out of the pushchair is he?" Tina asked as she walked back into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took out a bottle of wine. She poured them both a glass of wine and passed it to Bette.

"Thank you," Bette took a sip before looking at the document "What is this?"

"Erm, well, I need to do something with the land, the insurance money is there. I thought I would try my hand at designing my own place." Tina said slowly. she was slightly embarrassed. By it. She didn't want to come across as crazy.

Bette put her wine down and looked at the drawings, Tina wasn't just a very talented painter, her drawings were amazing. The plan was well thought out.

"Would you want to move back here?" Bette asked,

"I miss the quiet. I love it here. I do, but LA is noisy, I miss being able to sit and listen to the silence. I sound horrible, ungrateful for the fact you've given me a home, a life. I'm sorry."

"Ti, listen to me. I love you, God if I could I'd marry you. I understand you're a private person. You don't want to be in the middle of the West Hollywood gossip machines. You can fully design a house you want. Have the space that you want."

"Would you..." Tina stopped and ran her fingers along her neck. She was nervous. She didn't know how to ask

"What babe?" Bette asked, running her fingers down Tina's arm

"Would you ever consider moving out there with me?" Tina whispered. Her eyes darting around.

Bette smiled, she knew how much it must have taken for Tina to even ask her,

"Would you want me there?" Bette asked softly, she stepped into Tina personal space. She reached up and gently reached out touching Tina's face.

"Yes," Tina whispered she looked up into Bette's eyes for a moment and then looked away. she wasn't used to being this open and honest. She knew she was totally in love with Bette. Something she hadn't expected this to happen.

Bette smiled softly, gently she put her finger under Tina's chin to make her look up at her. They locked eyes and Bette smiled softly.

"I would love to be there with you, I'm sure we can rent this place out."

"You would do that for me?" Tina looked shocked. she knew how much Bette loved this place. This house was a symbol of her success

"Yes, baby I would. Listen. As long as I can get to the galleries, dinners and into LA. It's not the end of the world if I live further out. My friends will still find me. Let me be honest I've had a shit day. A really fucking shit day and the only thing that has got me through is coming home to you. this house has always been empty. I filled it with nice stuff, lovely art but it was lonely here. I sometimes would spend hours and hours in the gallery to avoid coming home. Since you've been here I'm happy to come home. I want to come home and see you, be with you. I love you Tina Kennard. I fucking love you. If you would let me I would love to help you design the house."

Tina smiled. she couldn't believe what her woman was saying to her.

"You would do this for me?"

"Tina, if you want to be away from the city again and you want that private place, I would love to be with you, that is if you want me there?" Bette cocked her head to one side. her hair falling over her face, she really was willing to give up this place for Tina. This had never been a real home, it was more like a show house. The closest she had come to sharing it before Tina was Jodi and that hadn't gone well. Bette had been jumping from woman to woman before she meet Tina and now all she wanted really was build a live with her and she really hoped that Tina felt the same.

"I would love for us to live together at my house which will become our house, I want to share the building process with you, I want to design it with you. I want a large art space for me. i want a house that's a home for us and maybe one day our..." She then whispered the last word "Family,"

Bette smiled and kissed her lips softly. Pulling Tina into her, deepening the kiss for a moment. Tina pulled back.

"Ti, I want to be happy, you make me happy. I love being with you. I'd love for us to live together full time and if that means living further out so be it."

Tina felt the tears running down her face. she hadn't thought that Bette would be willing to move out into the middle of no where with her. She cried. Bette wrapped her arms around Tina and pulled her into her.

"I do have one request."

"What would that be?" Tina asked between sobs.

"I would like to have a home office which looks out onto your home studio."

Tina smiled.

"That's your only request?"

"Not my only one but the main one." Bette smiled.

"I was just drawing but I might have to start again now,"

"I know someone who can help us and won't charge us much because I went to college with him,"

"You're going to get someone from Yale to design the house?"

"Yeah why not?" Bette laughed before kissing Tina one more time and moving around. she picked up her glass of wine again and drained the glass. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Not sure, give me five minutes to calm down B, please," Tina said, she was overwhelmed right now.

"Okay, I'm going to shower and change. Give you five minutes to breath and TI,"

"Yeah,"

Bette smiled, that sexy smile that made most women weak.

"I love you, so fucking much."

She walked away before Tina could reply.

Tina ran her hand along her face, she was so confused. She never thought that she would find anyone would treat her this week, be with her and be willing to give up her live in West Hollywood to move out of the city to be with her. she was shocked. she licked her lips. Walking back into the kitchen and started to put together some dinner for her and Bette. her mind is racing. she smiled.

Bette walked back into the kitchen and grinned as Tina was grilling some chicken and putting a salad together. she walked up behind Tina and gently kissed her neck.

Tina melted into Bette.

"You know, something smells good," Bette smiled.

"That would be the lemon chicken." Tina replied.

"Mmm, if you say so," Bette laughed.

"Nice shower babe?"

"Yeh, let me look at what you've got," Bette let go of Tina and picked up the piece of paper that Tina had been working on.

"Sure, I'm going to finish dinner,"

Bette grinned looking at the design for a two storey house with a large outbuilding that was marked as Studio. Tina was looking to do this right. Bette sat herself down and looked at Tina. The young woman who had been through more than anyone else Bette had meet. She wanted to make her life perfect. Bette had never been in love this way and it felt amazing.