CHAPTER SEVEN

I flashed my trademark smile to myself for the last time, left the house and locked up. I went to my car humming a song I didn't know the name of and started the car. I turned the radio on and sang along with Radiohead's Karma Police.

I felt how I was getting more excited as I neared her house. I turned into the street and I could've sworn that the butterflies were attacking each other with a great speed. I forgot all about that when I saw the door opening and recognised Dan Kennard's silhouette. Another person was standing in front of him, something huge in his or her hands. When I came closer, I recognised Eric Dumberson. I parked my car wondering what that was about. Had I missed Tina suggesting to take Eric with us?

I got out of the car, locked it and walked up to the door. I stood still behind Eric and listened to his words.

"I came to see Tina, sir. I want to take your daughter out on a date as a surprise. I have been giving this a lot of thought and I decided that the two of us could really make it together. Is she at home?"

I coughed, Eric jumped up and turned around.

"She is home, but not for long anymore," I said. "You see, Tina is already going out on a date tonight. With me. So, get lost."

Tina stood next to her dad now and looked just as confused as I was.

"Hi, mr Kennard. I mean, Dan." I always forgot I should call him by his first name, until he gave me that glare. "Are you ready to come, Tina?" I asked her confidently.

She smiled and nodded, then looked at Eric doubtfully. He looked stunned at my sudden appearance. I grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Too bad for you, I guess. Better luck next time!"

He finally seemed to come to his senses. "Bette? But... I've got a surprise for Tina! She has to come with me."

"I don't have to do anything," Tina said annoyed. "I do what I want and what I want is to go with Bette. You know, normal people ask the girl they fancy if they even want to date them before they go planning the entire thing and then show up unexpectedly."

"But I can't cancel it!" Eric protested. "Can't Bette take you on a date some other time? At least give me a chance... you haven't even given me the time of day."

"And that has a reason, Eric. I am a lesbian, gay. G-A-Y. I like women, boobs.

I like women, boobs. Get the picture? Now, as Bette said, bugger off."

"But you haven't given me -"

"Eric Dumb-" Tina paused. "-erson, what part of what I just said did you not understand? You don't get a chance because I'm not interested in you. You lack stuff up there and have a package down there that me no likes."

He was about to protest again, but I didn't want Tina to get totally pissed - and that was the road she was taking now. I wanted this evening to be about us and the least I could use was fucking Eric DUMBerson to ruin that.

"Come on, Tina, let's go. Dan, maybe you can talk to Eric? The poor boy doesn't seem to quite understand the concept of being gay, or even the concept of not being interested."

Dan nodded and I took Tina's hand. We walked to my car. I knew Tina wouldn't have been so rude with Eric if it had been her mom standing next to her. Her dad just cared less about how she treated people, as long as she was correct. If someone irritated her, he thought she had the right to tell him all sorts of stuff to get rid of him. Nancy would say that Tina always had to be polite, even if she didn't feel like it.

When we were in the car, I turned the radio on again but turned the volume down a bit. I manoeuvred the car on the road. Tina was silent and I looked at her worriedly.

"Is something wrong?" I asked tentatively.

Tina sighed and rested her head on her hand. My eyes caught her delicious cleavage that was already giving me some great ideas for tonight. "Don't you think we were a bit harsh with Eric?"

I shrugged. "He'll survive, I'm sure. It was just a weird idea of him to even do this in the first place." Tina's Nancy-genes were obviously kicking in.

"I just... I was looking forward to this date and then the door bell rang and it was Eric. I was pissed because it wasn't you - not that I was pissed at you. I think I would've been nicer to him if I hadn't been about to go on a date with the most beautiful girl walking this earth."

"I'm on the date too, you know."

"Huh?" She looked at me questioningly.

"You said you'll be on a date with the most beautiful girl walking this earth - yourself - and I merely remarked that I am there as well."

"Cheesy, Porter."

"I know. But you know what I think?"

"Do I want to?"

"I think you like it."

"Oh, you do?"

"Uh-uh."

"And what if I don't? What if cheesy people turn me off?"

"I don't turn you off - I don't turn anyone off but gay males."

I saw we were nearing the Italian restaurant and I smiled excitedly. I parked the car in front of it - it was never very busy - and hurried myself to Tina's side to open her door.

I parked the car in front of it - it was never very busy - and hurried myself to Tina's side to open her door. She smiled at the gesture and that sweet, simple smile melted my heart. I guided her inside, straight to the table at the window I always booked when I took my dates here.

We were barely seated when Guiseppe, the owner, was already tiptoeing around us. He smiled at me brightly while he took our coats – it had been a while since I had visited this place; I only came here with my dates and there had been nobody since Tina.

"Tina, this is Guiseppe. Guiseppe, this is Tina," I introduced them.

"Fantastico! Can I get you the menu?" he asked, winking at me but making sure Tina didn't see that.

"Yes. And Guiseppe – give the lady the normal menu – not the special one."

Tina looked confused, Guiseppe whistled. "She must be one special lady, eh, miss Bette?"

"For the hundreth time, please just call me Bette." I moved my hand to Tina's on the table and squeezed it. "And yes, she's very special."

Guiseppe disappeared and came back with the menu cards a few second laters. There were only two other couples in the restaurant, minding their own business very much. I looked at Tina and saw a mix of curiosity and disappointment on her beautiful face. I looked at her hair again – it was wavy and made her look even sexier. I had never seen her like that.

Finally, she spoke up. I had just been about to ask her what was wrong.

"Bette… what's that about me getting a regular menu card and not a special one?"

I smiled brightly. "I come here a lot. This is the place where I take most of my dates – before I met you, that is. Anyway, taking girls on dates I very much fun, but my wallet doesn't think so. I've known Guiseppe for quite some time. He made an adapted menu card – only the cheapest dishes are on it, the prices indicated lead the girls to believe they're eating more expensively then they actually are. I always pay the bill and there are so many people who take that as an excuse to order expensive things. You've got the normal card, so you get to see the real prizes and I want you to be not bothered about that at all. Order anything you want to eat, I haven't dated in quite some time so I've got lots and lots of money for you," I winked at her.

"I don't even know how I should feel about that," Tina laughed. "I mean, isn't it kind of rude to give them a different card? Why date them if you aren't even prepared to spend some money on them?"

"Because I was in it for the fun – I rarely if not never developed real feelings. This is different, though. That's why I got you the normal card."

"I guess I should feel honored then?"

I smirked. "I guess."

Antonio, the waiter and Guiseppes son, was quicker than his father to see that we had decided. He took our orders – a medium lasagna for me and the biggest spaghetti bolognaise there was for Tina – and we heard him tell the cook he'd better make sure it was damn good.

Tina and I talked about everything and nothing. There wasn't that much difference with the talks we used to have – it was as playful, but also as honest. We slightly brushed the Eric-subject, but decided that we didn't want this evening to be about him.

Our food came and I was amazed at the speed with which Tina ate the spaghetti. I was so astounded I forgot to eat and she was done when I still had to start. I came to my senses and quickly ate it, but had to stop when I had eaten most of it.

I came to my senses and quickly ate it, but had to stop when I had eaten most of it. I saw Tina's eager look and new what she wanted. I handed her the last of my lasagna and took her empty bowl. She smiled widely and attacked. I wondered where the hell that food went – she wasn't even fat. I made a guess at great metabolism and thought that I'd do my best to help her keep that nice only-a-little-bit-chubby stomach of hers.

After that, we went to the cinema. I was stuffed with the food I had just eaten, but when Tina bought the biggest pack of popcorn she could get, I decided to get myself a small one just in case that the extremely large one (meant for families of four, I guess) wasn't enough.

Okay, and just because I can't resist that popcorn.

"So, which one did you want to see?" I asked her when we reached the cash desk. She scanned the board above it to see which ones were playing tonight.

"Inglourious Basterds," she answered eagerly.

I frowned. "You saw that one with Dean…"

"Yeah, so?"

"Okay, fine by me. Are there any hot chicks in there?"

She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "You better only have eye for me – and Diane Kruger is smoking hot, but I don't want you drooling over her or I'm outta there."

"Got it, chief."

"Great, slave."

"Oh, so I'm your slave now?"

"Yes, my personal one. Your task is… worshipping me."

"I could do that."

"Ladies?" the young man behind the cash desk asked. He sounded slightly irritated and it was only then I realised that we were holding up the line.

"Inglourious Basterds twice, please," I said politely. As I was getting my wallet out, Tina had already put the money in the man's hands. I looked at her questioningly, she shrugged her shoulders. When we got through, she said that I had paid for the restaurant so it was only normal that she'd pay for the cinema. I protested that I always pay my dates, she pointed out that she'd feel like an exceptional date if she got to do something unregular. I could see the sense in that.

We enjoyed the movie tremendously and Diane Kruger was indeed more than very hot. My tiny pack of popcorn was finished rather quickly and somewhere halfway, I took on the brave adventure of trying to get a popcorn from Tina's pack. I swear my hand was so close when she slapped it away. The popcorn fell in her cleavage. I grinned like a cheshire cat.

With my eyes still fixed on the screen, I descended my hand into her cleavage and fished for the missing popcorn. My fingertips touched the sides of her breasts and I heard her hold her breath. She stopped chewing, she was watching the screen intently but I knew she wasn't really watching. The popcorn was half-stuck in her bra. I pulled it out and popped it in my mouth, grinning triumphantly.

She looked at the screen.

She looked at me.

I smiled at her.

She gave me a look of desire and pure lust.

She kissed the hell out of me, almost threw herself at me. Her lips made that magic connection with mine we had both longed for for so damn long, it wasn't even funny. I felt her lips move and opened mine slightly.

I felt her lips move and opened mine slightly. The tip of her tongue caressed my lower lip, I let her in and was glad we were on the last row. Her sweet, velvety tongue slipped in my mouth and inspected every inch of my mouth. I finally realised fully what was going on and started using my tongue in ways she probably had never experienced before.

I knew that moment that I would always regard it as my first kiss, because it was the first kiss out of pure and unadultered love.