Wow, this is pretty long. I hope you enjoy it. I am exhausted and yet I wrote this all for you guys.
There she is.
There is Jade West
Tori Vega sits on the opposite side of the restaurant staring at the woman she hasn't seen in seven years. Her foot taps obnoxiously on the white laminate flooring as she tries to gather enough courage to go over and talk to her. She tells herself she will go over after she counts to ten…twenty…sixty…pretty soon she has been staring at Jade for three minutes and her foot hasn't stopped jumping. She pushes on the table as she stands and tries to avoid catching Jade's eye until she steps up right beside her.
"Jade?" She asks timidly. The other woman glances over at Tori and an amused grin spreads over her face. Tori can't help but think about how much she has changed. She has mellowed out a lot. Her once black dyed hair is now a light and natural brown, she also seems to be wearing little makeup and her clothing isn't quite as dark. Tori could count the amount of times she has seen Jade with her hair pulled back on one hand and now is one of those times.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" She says apologetically. Tori's heart beats faster in her chest.
"It's Tori. Tori Vega, from Hollywood Arts." She spills out quickly. Jade's mouth forms an 'o' out of surprise before stretching into a smile.
"Vega." She breathes out and Tori grins with a sigh of relief.
"Hi," Jade greets warmly, "sit, sit." She orders gesturing across from herself. Tori slides into the booth and folds her hands in her lap.
"I don't know what to say." Tori huffs. "I just wanted to talk to you." She smiles nervously. "You're so pretty." She nearly blurts out. Jade chuckles.
"How have you been lately? You just got back from a tour didn't you?" She implored with a gentle tilt of her head. Tori nodded.
"Yeah, I've been traveling all over the world for the past five or six months, I don't know, it all blends together." Her lips pull back into a smile.
"Green tea for the lady." A waitress sets a steaming mug in front of Jade. "Can I get anything for you?" She looks at Tori. Tori shakes her head at the woman with blonde hair and a southern accent.
"No, thank you." She replies and the waitress walks off.
"So, what have you been up to?" Tori asks. Jade glances absently out the window and out to the street.
"Not much, I work as a songwriter." She checks her watch and purses her lips.
"Are you waiting for someone, oh God, are you out on a date?" She starts to fidget in her seat. Jade shakes her head.
"I am waiting for someone, but it's not a date. Don't get your panties in a twist." She seems very frustrated as she takes a sip of her tea.
"Who are you waiting,"
"Mommy!" She is interrupted by a child screaming and running up into Jade's arms.
"Robyn." Jade laughs and peppers the young girl's face with kisses. The girl has to be no older than four or five and she has short hair spiked into a fauxhawk. She wears an orange and yellow sundress and orange Mary Janes. Tori's eyes widen as she realizes that this is Jade's daughter. Jade has a daughter.
Beck walks up beside Tori and holds out a small turquoise backpack.
"Robyn, you forgot your bag." He tells her and helps as she slips her arms through the straps.
"Thanks Daddy." She grins and reveals her missing front teeth. She wraps her arms around Beck's legs and he lifts her up into his arms.
"Tori?" Beck finally glances towards the woman across from Jade.
"Hi, Beck." Tori nods.
"Hi!" The little girl bursts out. "I'm Robyn!" She laughs. Tori smiles at her.
"Hello Robyn." Tori greets. Beck sets Robyn on the ground and kisses the top of her head. She screeches and tries in vain to push her hair back into a fauxhawk. He smiles and tickles her sides and she erupts into a tittering fit. Tori glances at Jade to find her smiling at the display between father and daughter.
"I've got to get going, okay?" Beck kneels in front of her. She kisses his cheek and he gives her a hug.
"Be good for mommy. I'll see you next weekend." He tells her before leaving the restaurant. Tori notices that Beck did not say two words to Jade. Robyn climbs up onto Jade's lap and looks Tori up and down seriously.
"What's your name?" She asks.
"My name is Tori." She answers. The girl sitting across from her might not even be in school, and yet, Tori cannot shake the feeling of needing her approval. The girl seems to take her answer in and consider it silently. She nods and folds her hands in front of her. Jade suppresses a smile behind her daughter's head.
"Are you a singer?" She asks.
"Yes. I sing songs all over the world." Tori meets Jade's eye. Robyn sits quietly as she contemplates the answer.
"Are you my Mommy's friend?" Jade chuckles and Tori grins.
"Yes, I am." She dips her head. Robyn's lips split into a broad grin.
"Then I like you!" She announces. Tori laughs.
"I like you too." She tells Robyn. The waitress returns to the table and Robyn stands up on the booth.
"Hi Misty!" She waves excitedly.
"Hello Honey, do you want your usual?" The woman asks as she tucks a blond ringlet behind her ear. Robyn nods enthusiastically.
"Alright, fish-sticks and fries coming up." She smirks and walks off in the direction of the kitchen.
"Now sit down, Robyn, you don't want to ruin the seat and have to work in the kitchen washing dishes to pay to get it fixed, do you?" Jade pats the ugly red vinyl and Robyn lands on her bottom with a dull thump. Tori's phone beeps in her pocket and she groans as she glances at the screen.
"I actually have to get going. Look, I'd really like to see you again." She tells Jade as she un-sticks her legs from the booth. Jade reaches into Robyn's little bag and pulls out a notepad and a crayon. She writes her phone number in scrawling purple print.
"Call me." She smiles and hands over the digits. Tori nods happily.
"Will do. Bye Robyn." She gives a wave before exiting the diner.
Ten Days Later
Call her. Now. Right now. Tori paces in front of the counter where her phone sits. Pick up the phone. Dial her number. Press enter. Tori grumbles as her heels tap across the hardwood floors. She reaches a manicured hand towards her pink phone a lifts it from the granite countertop. She presses the memorized phone number and presses call. She holds her breath as it rings. Once. What if she doesn't pick up? Twice. Oh, God. Three times. She feels like she has to throw up.
"Hello?" Jade's voice is loud in her ear.
"Jade?" She asks, just to confirm.
"This is she."
"It's Tori." She smiles even though no one can see her.
"Oh, hi, Tori!" Jade laughs. "I was beginning to think you'd never call." She almost sounds nervous but Tori blows it off.
"I was just wondering, would you like to go out with me this Friday?" She inquires.
"That sounds like a great idea." Jade replies. "Can I meet you somewhere, I have to drop Robyn off at her father's house that night." She says. Tori thinks that it is odd that Jade didn't say Beck's name but she can't focus because Jade said yes to a date. Jade is going out on a date with her.
"Tori?" She hears quietly. "Are you there?"
"Oh, yeah! I'm sorry. I can't believe you said yes." She laughs.
"Well, I did, now where do you want me to meet you?" Jade asks with a chortle.
"Is Nozu still around?" Tori wonders.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's still there." Jade answers.
"Then, there is where shall meet." She bites her lip as she waits for a reply.
"Alright, I meet you there around seven." Jade tells her. "Okay, I'll be there in just a second!" Tori hears her yell away from the phone.
"Robyn's calling, gotta go. See you on Friday." Jade bids goodbye and they hang up.
Friday
"Mommy, why do you date girls?" Robyn asks from the carseat in the back of Jade's car as she drives her to Beck's.
"Because I like girls, and I like boys." Jade answers and checks her lipstick in her mirror.
"Okay." Robyn returns to playing with her dolls. Jade pulls into the driveway of Beck's house and turns her car off. After getting Robyn out of the car and grabbing her bag she follows her daughter as she scampers up the sidewalk. She knocks frantically on the door and grins when a woman opens it.
"Hi Trish!" Robyn laughs and runs into the house. Beck appears at the door a few seconds later with Robyn in his arms.
"You look nice." He tells Jade. She nods and holds out the bag.
"I have a date." She replies as Trish takes the bag from her.
"She's going out with Tori!" Robyn giggles.
"Oh," Beck smiles coyly. "Well, have a good time with her." He says. Jade swallows and kisses Robyn.
"I'll see you on Sunday. Be good." She says goodbye and returns to her car.
Skipping date scene because Tori and Jade want some privacy and I'm lazy.
"This was a wonderful night." The two women walk out of the restaurant together. Jade nods her head.
"I agree." The drift closer to Tori's car.
"Would you, maybe want to come back to my house for a drink?" She questions. Jade is silent as she contemplates the offer.
"I don't know." She sighs heavily.
"Just one drink." Tori gives her a hopeful smile and wide eyes.
"Alright, I surrender, just stop looking at me like that." Jade laughs.
Jade doesn't know how it happened. There was a glass, or two, of wine and stolen kisses before it turned into so much more. Tori took her to heights she had only dreamed of. Now she lies snuggled against Tori, their naked skin is pressed together. Her heartbeat quickens in her chest. What has she done? She promised herself to not get seriously involved with anyone. Not when she had to worry about Robyn.
Jade knows what it is like to see your mother come home with a different lover every night. She had vowed to never do that to her daughter. She is in Tori's arms though. She cannot deny how good she feels. How safe. How loved.
Robyn is more important. She thinks this as she slides out from Tori's grasp and writes a note slowly to leave on the bed beside where the slumbering woman rest. She explains that it would be better if they didn't meet up again and they should probably just stay away from each other.
When Tori awakes an hour later she expects to find Jade in her arms but her bed is empty. She spots a crinkled yellow note half under the blanket and she pulls it out to read. She crumbles the paper and stands up. She dresses quickly and hurries down to her car.
"Jade!" Tori pounds on the door to Jade's apartment. "I need to talk to you." She yells. The door opens to reveal a tired looking Jade.
"What Tori?" She sighs.
"I don't want to lose you again." She pleads. Jade shakes her head and looks at the floor before meeting Tori's eyes again.
"You don't know me anymore. I'm not the same girl who left you in high school. I was stupid back then, now I have a daughter to think of." She sighs. Tori inhales.
"Please, give me a chance." She begs.
"I can't." Jade looks away. "I think it's time for you go." Tori lurches forward and grabs Jade by the waist. She kisses her lips hungrily and Jade moans.
"I still love you." Tori kisses her again. "It's been seven years, but I still love you." Neither woman wants to pull away.
"Let me try. Let us try. I won't hurt Robyn." Her eyes are near tears as she waits for Jade's answer.
"Alright," Jade relents, "but if you make me regret this," she shakes her head, "you're going to pay." She steps back to allow Tori into her apartment.