Tales of Bette: Leaving Her Mark

Unsplash Image - Alex Baldetti

Bette On It Weird Adolescence - Senior Year January 2003 - An Excerpt:

The song on the stereo changed to 'Bailamos' by Enrique Iglesias. "One more dance before you go?"

"I could do that." She said softly. They walked up to each other behind the couch where the most space was. He put his right hand on her back where he knew to lead her. Her left arm formed the tight frame on his arm up to his shoulder. Their other hands joined. They found the count in the song and he moved them. It was a 4/4 timed count song. He lead her with a mambo at first, then some tight turns, a meringue, and salsa steps. They hand little smiles on their faces and moved through the song with swinging hips. They danced as well as they did only an hour ago and just like then, they did it for fun and they did it for themselves. It gave them the fun they were in need of. At the end of the song, he turned her far out and then pulled her back in. Bette still had her shoes on and one got caught on the carpet. She tripped forward and felt the horror on her face as she toppled forward. Mark was quick. He still held her hand and got his arm around her back and caught her in a lunge. Her arm wrapped around his shoulders as she caught him. Their faces were close enough that she could tell that he had eaten wintergreen mints and not chewed gum.

"You know, if you wanted to tango, you just had to say so." Mark chuckled.

Bette stood up straight in his arms and tried to wipe the stun off her face. The CD stereo switched to the next disc and played 'Lately' by Divine.

"Did you plan that?" She asked.

"How could I plan you tripping?" He said. She meant the music and the mints.

He was still holding her and started moving her with the song. She liked the song and hadn't heard it in a long time; not since middle school dances. She closed her eyes and moved her hand to a more comfortable position across his shoulders. Her hand settled on the skin right below his neck. His hand moved up her back and his fingertips touched the skin of her back under her sheer bolero. She felt his change opened their embrace until they were looking at each other. She could feel how red her face was. Mark looked at her: sweet and serious, he didn't move closer or lean into her. She looked down at their hands. She saw and felt his thumb moving against her hand. He barely moved his thumb, but it was enough for her to know that the girls were right earlier, and none of this was an accident. He was warm. He was sexy. He had been open and raw with her. He became impossible to say 'no' to. She pulled their hands close into them and she kissed the side of his thumb. It wasn't just a peck; her lips slowly enrobed his thumb until it nearly touched her teeth. Mark took a deep inhale when she did. She let his thumb out of her lips and looked up at him. He took her hand in his and pulled it to his lips. He did the same to her index finger while staring her down. Bette let out a soft breath from her stomach. Mark took her finger into his mouth to the second knuckle before letting it slide out and giving her finger another kiss. Bette lowered their hands and put some pressure on the back of his neck. She turned her head and began to close her eyes and could see Mark do the same as they started to kiss. It was different than when they were younger. It felt like a first kiss for the two again, but this time Mark was a man, and she was a woman. Their mouths opened to each other in a way that was instinctive. The warm memories came flooding back to Bette. He cared for her then, and he did now, and it made her feel incredible. Their hands turned and their fingers interwove with each other. His arm around her pulled her tight into him and this time, when she felt his erection, it felt as natural as the kiss. He pulled back from the kiss looking passionately at her; she held his gaze for a moment and closed her eyes. Her hand on his back slid across his shoulder and to his upper arm. She gave his firm bicep a squeeze. He held her waist tight against him, they swiveled their hips together, and gave her a couple grinds in rhythm with the song.

The song ended and the next one that played was '2 Become 1' by The Spice Girls. Mark stepped back from Bette a little and dropped his hand from her back. She finally opened her eyes. He unwove their fingers. "Bette, I think you know I want you to stay longer than one song."

Bette felt the sweat that that built between her breasts and how hot he had made her in her very core. It was after 12:30 AM. She knew her parents were asleep at home and they trusted her to come home, but she didn't want to rush home in the middle of the night in her dress, exhausted, doing the walk of shame. And she still had moments where she was plagued by thoughts Ozzy; it was too soon. As much as she wanted Mark, this was not the moment.

"Yeah. I kinda figured that."

He let go of her hand and stepped back. "I think you want to stay too. I won't push you. I was pushed. I wouldn't dream of doing that to you."

"I-I think this isn't the time. I think I'm not ready yet. It's only been a few weeks." She said nervously. She was scared of hurting him or letting him down.

He gave her a little smile and put his hands in his pockets. "In that case: Thank you for the extra dances. I had lots of fun tonight. And I'll see you in class on Monday."

She gave him a little smile. "Thank you for a wonderful evening." She walked towards the stairs and up them and he followed behind her. She got to the top and she cracked the door to the kitchen, stopped, and turned around. "Before I go," she held out her right hand to him, ”Could you kiss these two fingers," she pointed to her middle and ring finger, "Like you did before," she whispered.

Mark gave her a grin and climbed the next stair until he was eye to eye and right against her. He wrapped his right arm around her waist and took her right hand in his left. He positioned her fingers in his hand and gave her a sexy gaze. He took her middle and ring fingers into his mouth and closed his eyes while her did. She watched him and gave him a moan for his efforts. "I'm glad to do it. Tell me to do that anywhere at any time and I don't think I'll have a reason not to. But, um, why?"

She held his chin and gave him a slow, romantic kiss then spoke in her soft, sexy voice, "I wanted you to have 100% of the credit for what would happen two minutes after I got in my room tonight."

"That makes two of us," he said with a breathy laugh.

~~~

What did Bette do after leaving Mark?

Bette and Mark said goodnight to each other. She felt herself grinning as she walked to the truck. She looked out of the passenger side window to see Mark watching her from the door. She waved and he waved back. He tapped his hand over his heart and gave her another smile before closing the door. Bette felt her face flush as he did. She drove away into the darkness of the late, late night.

Moments of the night replayed in her head as she drove home. Moments that seemed innocent and friendly only hours ago now felt totally different. When he spun her and pulled her close, it was fun in the moment, now the memory sent a flutter through her stomach. When they took their posed pictures and stood still, the thought of seeing those pictures began to excite her. When Ami told her that she and Mark could double date with her and Robert, that was when the tide began to shift in her mind. She thought of the drive back to his house, reminiscing on the evening, his laugh, singing along with the radio; his friendship was warm and drew her in in a way she hadn't felt since they were 14. His friendship was intimate but never invasive and she was wondering what being closer with him would feel like again.

Bette closed herself into her room for the night. She went into her bathroom and took off her shoes and pantyhose. As she came back out into her bedroom again, an old CD was playing; the mix CD Mark had made years ago, the song, "Cry to Me," by The Contours. She smiled, closed her eyes, and swept her way around her bedroom to the rhythm of the song.

"You didn't forget," Mark whispered into her ear behind her. His fingertips slid down her arm. "I didn't forget either." He took her hand in his and turned her around, he was there just as she had left him at his home: tight black tank and dress pants; his cologne lingering. He pulled her close and touched her cheek with his other hand. "I know we said one more dance back at my house. You want more?"

She turned her head to kiss his fingertips. "Yes," she said softly looking up at him.

His fingers traced her cheek, up to her ear, down the side of her neck. He swayed his hips with hers, whispering in her ear, "You were shining tonight." He touched his forehead to hers and gently held the star pendant. "You shine everywhere, don't you?" He let go and caressed her collar bone and the top of her breast.

"I want you to make me shine, Mark."

"With pleasure."

He kissed her as passionately as he had at his home. Bette held his back tightly while he enveloped her. He untied the back of her halter dress and peeled the straps down like petals. Mark pulled his lips from hers and slowly lingered his fingers up over her warm, soft breasts. She started to breathe a little harder to his touch. Even through the form-fitting bra and the dimness of the room, he could see and feel her nipples protruding. "You like that?" He teased with a sweet smile. "What else do you like?" Without saying anything, she reached for the front strap of her bra and unhooked the neck strap. The weight of her breast caused the bra to slip a bit and her areolas were exposed. He took sure grip of her back and side and dipped her back on to her bed, laying by her side. She gasped a light moan in surprise leaving a little smile on her face. His hand moved up her back and unhooked her bra. He moved his lips slowly down her neck and chest before enrolling her nipple with his tongue.

"Yes," she sighed. "Mark."

He rolled her on to her back, crawling up on the bed with her. "I said I wanted more than one more song," he gazed at her dress, covering her from her knees to her waist. "I won't push you." He barely touched her over her breasts with the back of his fingertips, and the sensation teased her entire body.

"Maybe we can pull each other a little," she whispered. She put an arm over his back and rubbed the ribbing of his shirt up to the skin of his neck. He felt just as good as he did in his basement; her nails just barely touching the ends of his hair. She pulled him into her, just a little, and their lips touched again. His hand swept over her breasts and down her waist. He pulled her close into him. Bette opened her lips to his, feeling the gentle turn of his head, the subtlest of moves, as he ventured closer to her. She let out a soft hum, so quiet she didn't think he could even hear it, barely the sound of her own breath.

When Mark withdrew his kiss from her, Bette felt his arousal again, and this time, his hand was at the hem of her skirt. He was about to speak again, Bette knew what he was going to ask, some variation of what he should or could do. She reached down, took his hand, and brought it to her mouth. Just like at the top of his stairs, but this time she took his middle and ring finger and put them in her mouth. She wet them, sucked them for a moment, knowing how this would feel to him, so much so that he let out another soft moan. As she took his fingers out of her mouth, she led them back to the low hem of her skirt. They pulled up the hem together. She led Mark's fingers into the warm wetness of her with a welcoming sigh, holding him close, guiding him into her. He had been growing closer to her for months and the night had been so natural, his touch pleasured her easily. His face concentrated on hers for several moments while he touched her, watching for her gratifying breaths. When he found his rhythms with his hand, he lowered his head, and began to swirl his mouth over her exposed nipple. Bette held the back of Mark's head keeping him close while he touched her. Bette sighed, "I want more."

He echoed the words he said before she left his house, "I'm glad to do it. Tell me to do that anywhere at any time and I don't think I'll have a reason not to."

They both knew he had licked her fingers prior to saying that. He began to reposition himself on the bed and planted his mouth on her wet mound. His tongue moved careful yet swiftly over her, finding every point of desire in her. Bette softly moaned, "Yes. Yeah. Oh, Mark. Yeah."

He lifted his head and rubbed her more with his fingers, "I wanted you to stay, Bette."

Her body began to gyrate as the pleasure built. "Yeah," she whispered.

"I would have done all this and more," Mark groaned.

She sighed as she began to feel herself come to the edge.

"You would have seen more of me too," he began crawl and hold himself over her while he rubbed her faster.

She sighed in pleasure as her first orgasm rippled through her.

He hover his lips over hers while he slowed his fingers, "I would have cum with you too." His fingers sped up again and he gave her a second orgasm.

"But I would have had to have stayed," Bette whispered. She sighed and opened her eyes. She withdrew her now damp fingers from under the covers. The illusion of Mark was gone. She got up and went to the bathroom and washed up before going back to bed. She held the star pendant thinking of Mark, not lustful thoughts, but the sweeter memories. They said they were going to shine tonight. Bette fell asleep glowing in thoughts of him.