"Who is that?" Rachel asked after a gulp of water from the bottle she was holding.
"Who?" Samantha glanced over her shoulder, following Rachel's line of sight.
Rachel nodded her chin in the direction of a woman she had never seen before. The girl standing at the end of the long backstage hallway talking to one of the security guards was immediately breath taking. Long legs lead under a tight, thigh length cocktail dress. She wore leather heeled boots that hit just below her knees and a matching chic leather jacket that said she was both stylish and a little dangerous. Large hoop earrings sparkled in the soft backstage overhead lights and her face was framed by perfectly flowing dark black strands of cascading hair that fell both against her back and over her shoulders in the front. Fingers lifted to brush a bit of the unruly yet perfectly tussled hair off her face as she spoke. The soft caramel color of her skin somehow stuck out in the dim light instead of blending in.
A smirk came to Sam's face and she turned back to Rachel just in time to catch the girl staring and not so subtly taking in the beautiful girl from head to toe. She shook her head and gave Rachel a nudge with her elbow "Put it away, short stuff. She's taken."
"Wh-what?" Rachel stammered and quickly shook her head, blinking for the first time since her eyes had fallen onto the girl. She glanced at her friend and tried to hide a blush at having been caught staring "No. I mean, she is just gorgeous is all I meant. I've never seen her before, what is she doing backstage?"
The girl rolled her eyes, not buying it for a second. She had seen Rachel get all doe-eyed and gapped mouth before and she knew what it meant. She had known the girl since just a month after she moved to New York. "That's Santana Lopez."
Santana Lopez. That name was so exotic. It fit her perfectly, thought Rachel. She ran it over and over in her head a few times. The more she thought it, the better it fit the girl standing across the hallway. "And who is she?" Her original question not quite having been answered.
"You don't know?" Sam asked, glancing back over her shoulder to the girl with a little smile. She looked her over slowly, laughing to herself. She had definitely dressed with intention tonight. Turning back to Rachel she caught her attention again with a wave of her hand over her eyes "That is Jule's girlfriend."
Rachel felt her heart sink. Of course it was Julie Nickels' girlfriend. That shouldn't have come to a surprise to Rachel, at all. Julie had everything Rachel ever wanted, ever dreamed of, and even things she never knew she desired until she saw Julie enjoying them. She was a wonder child. That's what all of the extra's called her, at least. She barely had to try and she was just handed things. Even her name, Julie Nickels, she was born to get attention. She loved to tell the tale of how she walked into New York one night and walked onto a stage the next. No one really knew if it happened that way, but no one dare ask her for proof. All anyone knew about this girl was she was untouchable. Magnificent. Beautiful and talented. Humble and kind. Her story is inspirational and everyone falls in love with her upon hearing it, if they aren't already stricken with love upon first sight. She left you breathless with just one glance and if that didn't do it, just listen to her sing.
The thought made Rachel want to gag. It wasn't that Julie was a bad person, persay. Okay, so she did have a few diva moments, okay a lot of diva moments. She kind of treated the extras and small bit part players like shit and made demands of them even though she had her own team of runners and doers and fetchers. She thought her shit didn't stink and the world revolved around her. But unless you've worked with her personally, you would never believe it. She had a way with words, a way with the media, and a million watt smile that she could flash and use to deflect any question about rumors of her divahood. She was pretty much perfect in the eyes of Broadway, in the eyes of the world. And it made Rachel sick.
Rachel had been a bit naïve when it had come to New York, Broadway, and her own talent. Was she good? Of course. She could bring a tear to the eye of just about anyone that would listen to her sing. But that only took you so far in a small town. You could be the big fish in a little pond one day and a worthless guppy in the ocean the next, a lesson she had learned the hard way. Rachel never doubted she would be a star, it was the rest of the world that did. But she wouldn't stop until she proved them wrong so two weeks after graduating from high school, Rachel had moved to New York to capture her dream. She soon learned that every other talented star from every other small town school had moved to New York after graduation that year too. Competition had been fierce, parts had been few, and friends had been non-existent. Until she met Samantha. They had crossed paths a few times at various auditions and she was the only one that never had a sour look on her face as if she were better than you even though she knew nothing about you. After the fifth run in, Rachel had sat next to the girl, introduced herself, and immediately they had bonded. They were both from small towns, no surprise there, and both had big dreams. They had a lot in common and had become instant friends. From that day forward the two girls were pretty much like sisters. If one would land a part, the other would congratulate her and they would celebrate. If one would miss a part they would gather, talk crap on whoever did get the part, and say their play was going to suck because they had passed up the real talent. It was the first time Rachel had a true friend, one who was not threatened by her talent, even though they were competition sometimes. The two girls learned and grew together and after gaining a few small parts for work here and there, eventually saved enough money to move into an actual apartment, together, in the heart of the theater district.
Slowly the two of them helped each other out in auditioning, getting parts, and building their careers. They would help the other pick which auditions would fit their range and talent, give a good name to a casting director who was looking for new talent for his next play, and even help run lines once they got a part. Each day they would take a list of auditions they were interested in, part ways, and try to find a part before returning home that evening. They would go over how they had gone, what they could have done better, and where they would try next. Eventually parts started to come easier to Rachel. She loved that she didn't have to put in so much footwork, but she also felt guilty that Sam was not receiving the same recognition or success. She owed so much of herself to this girl, her best friend , that she hoped her own success on the same level would come too.
Then one day Rachel heard of a reading and audition for an original play going through workshops and building from the ground up. It would be perfect for Sam, she thought. She had her own part at the moment that took up most of her time so she passed the papers on to her roommate and encouraged her to go for it. It was no surprise the girl had landed it and soon enough they were both busy bees again. The two of them would rehearse and run lines together every night and eventually they knew each other's parts, and most of the rest of the play by heart. So when the tragic news that the actress doing one of the vital character's in the play had to leave due to illness, just a week before the show opened, Rachel was the only option to replace her. She did it for Sam, who begged her. Had they had to run auditions to replace her, the play's opening would be stalled for months, maybe. She knew Rachel knew the play and with her last engagement having just ended, she knew Rachel had the time. So the next day, Rachel walked into the reading with her head held high. An hour later she walked out with the part. It was the first time the two girls would be in the same play. They had avoided that so they would not have to compete, but desperate times had called for desperate measures. It had all worked out, though. Sam and Rachel's parts were best friends who fed off one another in a comic relief throughout the play and they were immediately recognized by critics as the perfect pair. They were the only other highlight of the play that didn't include the stunning, breathtaking, immaculate Julie Nickels. Rachel hated that. There were so many great players and yet they were all over shadowed by the golden child. Well, except her and Sam. It was a small victory at least. That and the two girls tended to be pranksters together and Jules was their favorite target.
Rachel's face must have given away that she was thinking about how much she detested the star of the play because Sam gave a laugh and nodded as she stepped beside her friend and slid an arm around her shoulders "I know short stuff, I hate her too. But word on the street is Santana isn't exactly good to her."
"What do you mean?" Rachel was intrigued. She Santana put bugs in her cereal and slash her tires just for fun? Okay, so Rachel was still naïve, and too nice for her own good, because both those things sounded really horrible to her.
"Santana isn't exactly miss commitment if you catch my drift."
Rachel shook her head. The term girlfriend sounded like a commitment to her. Again her naïve nature shone through.
Samantha gave a roll of her eyes "She's a player and she doesn't care who knows it. She's pretty much status in the lesbian community. If you sleep with Santana you're someone. If you sleep with Santana while she has a girl already, you're even more of a someone. There are girls literally knocking down the door and crawling through the windows just to touch one of her tits. She is hot shit."
Rachel's mouth dropped open. Her eyes returned to the girl and her stomach churned. How could someone act like that! It was deplorable and disgusting. Rachel folded her arms with a huff.
As if reading Rachel's mind, Sam laughed again "She's hot and girls are stupid. Guys are stupid too. Human beings are stupid when it comes to sex, money, and fame." The girl rolled her eyes and shook her head "Don't pretend like you wouldn't just love having chicks throwing themselves at you, Rach."
Rachel thought about it for a moment and opened her mouth to protest, but stopped and shrugged. "It would make dating easier."
Sam laughed at this "Looks like Santana has it all figured out then, huh?"
"But I would definitely not be a player! If I was with someone and dared call them my girlfriend I would not sleep around or spend any time with anyone else." Rachel added quickly. She most certainly did not want to seem like she was supporting the actions of this woman.
"That's the difference between you and her, toots. All she's interested in is pussy."
"Mouth!" Rachel slapped her friend's arm with a laugh.
"Seriously? You're twenty-two grow up. No one calls it their 'down there' at this age. No wonder you never get laid."
"Hey" Rachel folded her arms with another huff "I happen to be very picky, very busy, and have something called standards unlike you!"
"Ouch" Sam grabbed her heart in mock pain, stumbling back a bit as if she had been hit with a dagger.
Rachel rolled her eyes at her friend and gave a laugh. Samantha definitely had more luck on the dating front. Rachel had never judged her for it because she was respectful whenever she brought someone home. No sex while Rachel was in the house and if the guy stayed over he always got dressed before leaving the room and was not allowed to eat anything unless he cooked for the three of them. Or if he was an actual boyfriend that she had been dating and not a one night stand. Then he could eat things, but he still had to get dressed before coming out of the room. Rachel did not want to see any dick. If she did, she would date men.
As the two of them had bantered, Santana had moved down the long hallway and headed toward the dressing room of the amazing Julie Nickels. Rachel was giggling like mad at Sam's fake hurt when Rachel had called her out on her less than chaste ways and when Santana passed by the two girls the laugh hit her ears. She smirked and paused just behind Rachel, lifting one of her hands and gentle taping a long finger against Rachel's shoulder.
Sam immediately froze and her eyes got as big as silver dollars. She had seen Santana numerous times over the past year, Jules and she having some very dramatic fights, and make ups, backstage but never once had she ever been face to face, or this close to the girl. She was definitely gorgeous. If she didn't love dick so much, she might be tempted to switch teams.
Rachel's laugh slowly died down as she turned around to see who had tapped her. As soon as she saw the tall Latina girl standing right there she cut off her laugh with a gasp. "Uh..Hi?" That was all Rachel could come up with to say. No wonder she couldn't woo a girl onto one simple date, she stiffened like a board whenever she was near one.
"Sorry to both you two, you seemed to be having quite the laugh…" She glanced at Samantha and gave a half smile, one that said she really didn't care about her. Then here eyes dropped to Rachel and the smile grew full bloom and slightly smirky as the finger that had landed on her shoulder now dropped and run over Rachel's bicep before innocently falling away "But I was wondering if you knew where Julie's dressing room was? You see, I have these flowers for her" Santana motioned to the little bundle of flowers she held in her hand, then looked at Rachel again. Dark eyes took in the shorter girl fully and Samantha could have sworn she saw her lick her lips a little.
Rachel just nodded and tried to smile, without blushing, but failed and fumbled as she opened her mouth "Uh huh. Thir-um..Third door on the left. The one with her name on it. You can't miss it."
Santana nodded her head, her eyes once more feasting on the tiny little creature in front of her. She was cute, in a weird slightly innocent way. Definitely cute, though. She had potential. "Thanks sweetheart. You're a lifesaver." For having never acted in her life, Santana had the whole damsel in distress thing down. As if she didn't know where her girlfriend's dressing room was? She had only been coming here almost nightly for a year. Well, minus the three months they had broken up. Santana's smirk held and she slowly turned to head that way, tearing her eyes from Rachel at the last possible second before her steps took her down the hallway. With every click of her heels against the cement flooring, her hips gave an exaggerated swag back and forth.
Rachel blinked a few times even as her eyes stayed glued to the ass that swayed back and forth. She couldn't believe that just happened. Her heart was racing and she felt warm. What the Hell?
"Oh…my…god!" Sam whispered with a laugh as she nudged Rachel from behind, bringing the girl out of her stare.
"What?" Rachel asked, whirling around and pushing her hair off her face with a sigh.
"You so totally just got scoped out by Santana Lopez! She wants you. She has just marked you as her next piece of meat. She wants to give it to you and give it to you good!"
"What? Shut up! You are insane!" Rachel growled and shoved her friend backwards, her eyes flickering to the side to see Julie opening her dressing room door and greeting Santana with a hug and longer than needed kiss. Rachel felt her stomach burn. Damn that Julie Nickels.
"Look at you!" Sam pointed, her joy and amusement was written all over her face "You want it too! You can't take your eyes off her!"
"Me? No" Rachel shook her head quickly and folded her arms "I would never be with a woman like that. Someone who, who cheats and treats a woman like a, like you said, a piece of meat. Money does not buy women and cheating is not how to show your love. I would…." Rachel glanced at the two girls down the hallway now. Santana had a hand on the wall near the door frame where Julie leaned back against her with her arms crossed. The two girls had smirks on their faces and Santana was rubbing her free hand up and down along Julie's arm slowly. Their eyes were locked. "Look at that! They are practically having sex in the hallway. I would never. How disgusting!"
Samantha perked an eyebrow at her friend, laughing softly as her head gave a shake "Whatever you say, Rach. I don't blame you, she's hot. I'd totally do her if the thought of actually having to do her didn't gross me out so much."
Rachel frowned and looked at her friend "Gee, thanks. I never complain about you and your super straight sex, straighty."
Samantha rolled her eyes and shook her head "Not what I meant. You know I am totally down with you being a lesbo and I hope you have some hot sex that makes you tingle and your toes curl, but I am just not down with ME doing that. I can't get into, I'm sorry."
Rachel laughed, rolling her eyes back at her friend "Too bad. If you were down, you'd be my soulmate."
"Dodged a bullet." Sam chided with a grin.
"Eat me" Rachel growled
"Just told you I'm not down with that."
Rachel sighed and gave her friend a shove "You're disgusting. Let's get out of here."
Sam slid her arm through Rachel's and gave her arm a little squeeze as she physically turned her friend around so she could not stare down at Santana any more, moving her now toward the exit.
"Hey, how come I've never seen her before if you say they've been dating a while?"
"Because you always leave right after the curtain falls. You seriously need to learn to have more fun."
Rachel sighed as she pushed the door open and they walked out into the cool night air "You know I hate staying out late. I'm still afraid to get mugged."
"If you stayed with me we could go home together. Besides, I have pepper spray and I'm a bad ass so no one would mess with us."
"Bad ass? You can't even step on a freaking spider!" Rachel wailed out in laughter as the girls rounded the corner from the theater and headed toward the subway.
Samantha frowned at that. She actually had no comeback.
Rachel nodded proudly, sliding her arm around her friend fully and gave her a squeeze "You just have a weak stomach, it's alright. It's something to love about you. That brings the list to two." Rachel chirped with a sarcastic wink to her friend.
"Eat me" Samantha mumbled in defeat.
"Totally would, if you were down with that" Rachel quipped as the girls descended the steps into the subway to make their way home.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Sam had said Rachel needed to stay out more after the play, so Rachel did just that. Of course Sam knew it was just because she was hoping to catch a glimpse of the senorita that had so easily seduced her way into Rachel's mind, but Rachel would never admit to that. She claimed she needed to get to know the night life of New York. She was twenty-two for crying out loud and the only time she had been to a party was after her last night on her last play. She had only had one drink and it tasted like gasoline. She needed to start living. She had been working so hard since she landed in New York four years ago and it was starting to pay off and now it was time to enjoy the life she was leading. Sure, she wasn't a star, yet, but she already had offers to lead new plays after her time with her current one was over. She was definitely moving on up and she wanted to enjoy it and share it with her best friend. Who knew when they would get to work together again, if ever. She should really embrace it.
"Do you guys really party every night?" Rachel asked a bit surprised at the fact.
Sam shrugged as she leaned over the mirror to take off stage make up and put on real make up "Not all the time. Happy hour and ladies night on Tuesday, so we usually all go out together then. Thursdays we usually play poker with security after hours. Friday and Saturday are obviously club nights."
Rachel nodded. She knew all too well that club nights often translated to drinking too much, picking up a strange man, sleeping with him, then sneaking back into the apartment just before dawn for her friend. She never judged her, just wondered how she kept up with that and the play so effortlessly.
"So since its Tuesday I assume we are doing that ladies night thing you mentioned?" Rachel asked curiously as she checked over her outfit in the mirror before focusing on her hair.
"Mhm" Sam hummed as she checked her phone. She read a text and smiled "Ricky said he is glad you are coming. He said there's lots of tuna so bring your mayo."
Rachel gasped, glancing at her friend "He did NOT say that."
Samantha laughed and showed her the screen.
"That is so…soo…crude!" Rachel huffed, grabbing the phone and typing a reply. "I am not even sure what that means but I think it is a disgusting innuendo for lady parts and sexual arousal and if that is the case you can count me out!" Rachel read with disgust before sending the text.
"Easy killer, he was joking. He is just happy you are coming out of your shell." Sam rolled her eyes and took her phone back.
"He doesn't have to be so disgusting. I'm not even looking to…to, hook up? Is that the term you use?" Rachel blushed at herself. Maybe she needed to pay more attention and start talking like Sam because she sounded twelve right now.
"Yeah, hook up. Or fuck. Or tap that. Get some, ride a stranger, bump uglies with a nobody. Pick your poison."
Rachel's lip curled in a scowl and she looked back at the mirror "No wonder I don't hang out with you guys, all you think about is sex."
"And because you're boring." Sam added with a smirk, reaching over to poke her friend in the ribs with her brush.
Rachel squeaked, giggled, and batted away the brush.
"It's so cute that you're ticklish." Sam smirked again. She just loved teasing her.
"Shut up. You're the only person who knows that." Rachel mumbled as she curled a strand of hair.
"Wait, you're not a virgin are you?" Sam sat up, her face lit as if she had just discovered gold.
Rachel scowled and looked at her friend "Don't be an idiot. Remember that girl Annie?"
"Your understudy a year ago?"
Rachel nodded her head and looked back to the mirror, a smirk on her lips.
"No shit? She was cute!" Sam laughed softly "Was she your first?"
Rachel rolled her eyes and turned off the curling iron now. "Please. I was a teenager once. You should know as well as anyone how horny teenage theater kids are."
Sam gave an understanding nod and kicked back in her chair, feet up on the vanity now. "Nice."
Rachel giggled, turning to sit on her vanity now "I have a little experience under my belt. I just choose not to focus on it."
"You should focus on it. You need to get laid, seriously."
"And what is wrong with me that makes you say that?" Rachel growled
"Nothing. You just blush when a pretty girl says hi, you hate sexual innuendos, and you take jokes too seriously. You're kind of a prude."
"I resent that. I am classy and lady-like."
Sam perked an eyebrow now, lips pursed together "And what am I?"
Rachel frowned, shaking her head "I didn't mean that. I just mean, I have priorities and being a horndog is not one of them."
Just then they were interrupted by a knock at their dressing room door. Rachel pushed off where she was leaning and went to answer it. Ricky beamed down at the girl, giggling as he wrapped his arms around her "I was teasing! I just want to see you make out with a girl. I still don't believe you're a lesbian. Or human. I have never even seen you look at anyone like you wanted to rip their clothes off!"
"Ricky" Rachel mumbled, trying to push the tall guy off her now. He had come on board to the play the same time Sam had and the two had bonded immediately. Sam said he reminded her of her brother. Since the day Rachel was added to the cast, he had welcomed her with open arms. "I can't breathe!"
He chuckled and let go of her, stepping back into the hallway and looking at the two girls "Are we ready or what, sluts? Happy hour started a half hour ago! I need to get my dance on."
"Don't you mean your grind with everything with a dick on?" Sam mumbled as she gathered her things and stood from her chair.
"That's you sweetheart." He said with a cheesy grin.
"Oh yeah" Sam agreed, hopping into the hallway, grabbing Rachel on her way and pulling her out. The three of them headed down the hallway toward the exit.
As they rounded the corner, Rachel ran smack into someone so hard it tossed her back and she nearly fell, had Sam not been holding her arm. It had taken the air out of her a bit. She was annoyed instantly. Who was going THAT fast down the skinny corridors backstage? Didn't they know it was dangerous? She took a deep breath and was about to scold whoever it was when she focused and immediately froze.
"I am so sorry" Santana said with a smirk, hand on her hip, looking as if she could careless that she had just toppled the three of them backwards. "I should watch where I'm going." Again, Sam was almost certain she saw Santana lick her lips as she looked Rachel up and down.
"Oh, no, it's quite alright." Rachel mumbled, her cheeks burning a soft red now.
Sam and Ricky stared in awe, trying not to laugh, watching Rachel pretty much crash and burn.
"You're name is Rachel, isn't it?"
The three of them dropped jaw and widened eyes at that.
Rachel blinked a few times and nodded quickly, stammering out a "uh yeah I'm Rachel."
Santana nodded her head with her smirk still intact, her eyes once more feasting upon her. Had Sam not found it delightfully hilarious she would have smacked her for eye fucking her so hard. "You were Sophie in Mamma Mia last year weren't you?"
Rachel once again stared wide eyed. Was she? She couldn't remember. She was surprised she had remembered her name. Wait, had she? Did she already tell her that part? She stared up at this gorgeous woman who was now talking to her and her mind went blank. She felt her heart beating and her fingers starting to tingle.
"She was!" Sam said quickly, nodding her head with a smile "A little before she started this play, actually. A bit of a downgrade, if you ask me, but she really loves the material and couldn't pass it up."
Rachel looked at her friend and suddenly she remembered who she was. Her mind came flooding back and she found her voice again "Um, yeah. It's not about the spotlight, it's the love of the art." Rachel mumbled softly. Did that sound lame?
Santana perked an eyebrow, intrigued, her eyes looking over the smaller girl again slowly. "Too bad other people don't feel the same." There was an inflection in her voice that hinted that just maybe she was talking about the diva extraordinaire Julie Nickels.
Rachel just nodded. Why couldn't she do anything more than nod.
Santana smiled. Her smirk turned into an actual smile. She licked her lips again, this time there was no hiding it, the tongue was there for all to see. "I'll see you around, Rachel." Santana said in a tone that sent shivers up Rachel's back. The taller girl took one more look over Rachel and brushed past her, making no effort at all to excuse herself and squeeze by, no. She nearly walked straight through Rachel, her arm catching on one of Rachel's and lingered back as the rest of her body passed, fingertips sliding down her arm to her hand before eventually being pulled away by the rest of her moving body. Sam could have sworn she saw her fingers curl and purposely grip Rachel's pinky before they dropped away.
Ricky watched the girl go and when she disappeared into Julie's dressing room, he turned to look at Rachel as a huge smile cracked over her face "Sweet Jesus you ARE a lesbo! I could see it. You couldn't take your eyes off her. You wanted to rip her clothes off! I am totally convinced now!"
"Ricky!" Rachel growled and buried her face, shaking her head as she stormed off ahead of her friends.
Sam and Ricky both laughed, running to catch up with her "Hey, we are just teasing!" Sam grabbed her arm and slowed her down "But Jesus did you see her? You may not have been undressing her, but she sure as Hell was."
"You're lying." Rachel mumbled
"Not at all!" Ricky and Sam said at the same time, both looking at each other and laughing before Sam continued. "I swear on my love of penis that she licked her lips three times. THREE!"
"Maybe she has chapped lips" Rachel dismissed as Ricky chuckled at the love of penis part. Sam was serious when she swore on that.
"Not like a quick pass of her tongue. No, like she was staring at a pot roast meal and she hadn't eaten in a year."
Ricky nodded in agreement. "Plus did you see how she walked past you? She was practically rubbing her cooch all up on you."
"RICKY!" Rachel scolded again, sending her friends into another fit of laughter "Can we just shut up about this? You are insane, the both of you."
The friends glanced at each other and shook their heads, silently smirking at one another but not saying anything else.
"Besides, she's with Jules." Rachel mumbled, pushing open the door now as they moved into the night air.
"So?" Sam mumbled her hand lacing with Ricky's and the other looping through Rachel's arm "Never stopped her before. Besides, she knew who you were, Rachel. That means she either looked you up after your first run in or she's been watching you for a while. You're totally on her radar now. She is circling her prey."
"I am not prey. And maybe she just loves Broadway plays and makes a regular visit to all shows."
Ricky and Sam looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Maybe you're right." Sam finally mumbled.
It was silent as the three of them rounded the corner and headed to the subway. It was a short ride to their favorite club for Tuesday night.
Finally breaking the silence, Ricky smiled as they boarded the train "Let's get Rachel trashed tonight." He giggled and Sam nodded in agreement.
Rachel didn't hear. Her mind was on Santana. Why did the girl know her name and her previous work? Was she just being nice to Julie's fellow players since she hung around backstage so much? Why did her mind go numb when she saw her? She had definitely run right into her. Ricky was right; she had rubbed her cooch all over her when she passed. So why wasn't she disgusted? The thought sent a bolt to the core of her stomach and Rachel smiled. Why? She had no idea, but she liked the thought.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
As soon as they got to the club, Ricky and Sam had pulled Rachel to the bar and demanded she have a drink. She only gave in because she knew that she would drink it so slowly it would have no effect on her and she would only need one to last her the night. Unlike her friends who tossed them back like they were water, Rachel would baby sit her drink and sip on it all night. She would only pretend to get a new one then go to the bar and ask the bartender to top it off with coke. Rachel knew her way around peer pressure, she had learned many years ago and was thankful her two friends were too busy drinking and bumping and grinding to notice.
The place was loud, like any club was expected to be, but it was nice. Rachel always imaged clubs to be dirty and drug soaked but this one was classy and clean. It seemed to be a place where many actors and actress on the circuit came to let loose. Rachel ran into a few people she had been in small plays with here and there over the years. None of them had really made it, not like she or even Sam had. They had all congratulated her for her stint in Mamma Mia and even confessed to coming to see her in her current play raving that she was hilarious with Sam. It was small, but it meant a lot to Rachel. One day she wouldn't be able to go out in public without being bothered so it was nice to still blend in and only be recognized by people who already kind of knew her.
Rachel sat leaned against the bar in the corner, watching Ricky and Sam both hone in on their prey for the night. Prey. That was the word Rachel would use since apparently they loved using it to describe her now. She rolled her eyes at that.
"More coke?" The bartender offered and Rachel smiled, reaching her cup out and getting it topped off. He smiled as he leaned against his bar top, his eyes on the crowd before looking back to Rachel "Why don't you go dance, sweetie? I'm sure someone out there would take you for a spin."
Rachel shook her head shyly, taking a sip of her drink that was now all coke "I'm not much for the bump and grind. I'm more of the ballet type dancer."
The bartender laughed warmly and nodded "Look around you sweetie, everyone here is. That's the joy of the theater crowd, they can all sing, dance, and act. You never know what you're going to see night in and night out."
Rachel smiled and glanced at the man. He wasn't much older than Rachel and had a sweet smile on his face. He was handsome and nice. Maybe he should date Sam, she thought. "Do you enjoy Broadway plays?"
"Oh Hell no, they bore me to pieces, no offense. But I love when the players come to get drunk after. That never fails to keep me entertained." He gave her a wink then excused himself to help a few people who had stumbled to the bar in search of more drinks.
Rachel looked into her glass and sighed. Was she even having fun? She didn't know. If she was at home right now she would be reading and getting ready for bed. That couldn't be normal for a twenty-two year old, right? Especially one on the Broadway circuit. Apparently it was an exciting group of people who loved to let loose and go crazy. Maybe she was a prude. But rubbing against a stranger did not seem fun. Plus this music was horrible….
The crowd was mumbling now, she could hear it over the music, and Rachel looked up to see what the commotion was. Just a moment earlier the one and only Miss Julie Nickels had graced the club with her presence. The crowd all knew who she was and as she moved through the room they all gave her the attention she always so desperately craved. Rachel rolled her eyes. When she finally hit huge she would never act like that. Look at her. Look at the way she walked with her head held high like she was too good to make eye contact. She didn't even say excuse me, she just assumed people would move. And look what she was wearing. Did she think it was the freaking Tonys or something? Seriously. Who wore a gown like that to a night club in New York?
Then her eyes found a familiar form following behind the star. Santana Lopez. She was glancing around with a smirk on her face, a smirk that said she was a hot bitch and knew it. A look that told everyone that she knew just how lucky she was to be on the arm of this starlet. A look that told everyone they should be jealous of her. Then her eyes flashed to a drink waitress walking by with a tray of drinks and Rachel most certainly so her look at her ass causing her smirk to grow.
Rachel narrowed her eyes and shook her head. She was disgusting. Here she was on the arm of the hottest star on Broadway and she was checking out another woman? She wasn't even hiding it. How completely inappropriate. Rachel instantly looked away. She couldn't watch the parade any long. She already had to see and hear all about Julie all damn day at the theater. She wanted to just be rid of her and have some fun. Of course she would come out the same night Rachel did. Of course.
Rachel's eyes focused back on the dance floor as the people started to move again once the diva was gone and into what Rachel could only assume was some sort of V.I.P. room. She sipped her drink and watched as Sam now made out with the guy she had been dry humping previously and Ricky was leaned against the wall, his fingers looped into the belt loops of a man she hadn't seen all night, giving a tug of his hips so he would lean into him. Rachel rolled her eyes. Her friends were so…gross sometimes! But deep down she envied them. She wished she could let loose like that.
"More coke please" Rachel asked as her hand swung back to set her cup on the bar, her eyes still on the dance floor. She hadn't noticed someone had stepped into her personal space and instead of setting the glass down, she knocked it into someone and spilled it all over them.
"Oh! I am so sorry, I didn't see you stand-" Rachel stopped when she turned and her eyes fell on Santana.
"No sweat, Rachel" The smirk came to Santana's mouth and Rachel blinked in awe.
"I'm sorry" Was all she could manage to mumble.
"You said that." Santana said as her hand wrapped around Rachel's that held the glass and took the drink from her. She sniffed the cup, then looked at her wet dress, this one was blue tonight but it definitely looked like the bright red one she had worn the first night Rachel had seen her. "Good to know it was just coke. I can't have someone thinking I am a drunken mess." A laugh escaped her lips now. Well ,it was sort of a laugh. It was an attempted laugh that came out more of a low amused breath that sounded, well, sexy.
No! Rachel couldn't find anything about her sexy. She was disgusting!
"Let me pay for that?" Rachel offered, pointing to the soaked dress.
"Don't be silly. I have about a thousand more at home. I'll just go change in the limo."
"L-limo?" Rachel stuttered. Why was that so interesting? She had ridden in a limo before, they weren't that cool. Damn it, Rachel, stop it!
"Of course. Do you really expect me to ride in anything else?" A hand dropped to Santana's hip and for a moment she looked like Rachel should correct her questioning or she might be offended.
"Oh, I didn't mean I was surprised by it. It just must be nice, is all. I walk everywhere. Or take the subway." Shut up, Rachel, stop rambling! Why are you saying such stupid things?
Santana smirked, this time more amusement and less, well seduction in that smirk. "You're funny, Rachel. I like you."
Rachel felt her cheeks blaze a hot red at that. She prayed the club was dark enough she couldn't see it because then Rachel would be inclined to keep blushing if it was pointed out.
Santana eyed Rachel slowly up and down, taking in the way she looked. She looked hot, in a very conservative way. She could tell she wasn't much of a club goer, just by her choice of outfit. She got an A for effort though because her legs looked good in that mid-thigh skirt and her tits weren't too hidden behind the button up blouse she wore.
"Do you want to get out of here?" Santana finally broke the silence that had fallen between them, her finger lifting now to slide along Rachel's arm slowly.
"Out? Of here?" Rachel shook her head, her face looking like she was a deer caught in the headlights. "No, why would I want to do that?"
Santana laughed again. This time it was a real laugh. It was half of amusement and half disbelief but it was not as sexy as the breathy low laugh sound. It was still sexy, though. Wait, no, stop thinking she is sexy Rachel!
"What?" Rachel asked, feeling like she was shrinking into herself now. She was almost willing herself to disappear.
"You're cute." Santana said as her finger lifted, curling now around a strand of Rachel's hair and gently watching it slide in a circle before falling back to Rachel's shoulder. "You know who I am, right?"
Rachel nodded her head quickly "You're Julie's girlfriend."
That didn't even phase Santana, her nodding a bit "Something like that. I am sure you know what I can do for you."
"Who said I want you to do anything for me?" Rachel gasped and moved away from Santana as best she could while still sitting and her back against the bar, a scowl on her lips. "I know about you, Santana Lopez. You're a player. You cheat on your girlfriends and you sleep around and you don't call people the next day. You use your money to impress girls and make them like you and then you disappear."
Santana perked an eyebrow now, an impressed one this time, her trying to fight a smirk "I've never heard it said so bluntly before, Rachel. I like your style. Usually I whisper in a girl's ear and they are jumping in the back of the limo with their pants around their ankles. Or…" Santana's hand dropped and her finger slid along Rachel's knee "Their skirt pushed up around their waist, if you will."
Rachel swatted at Santana's hand and a near growl slipped from her lips "I am NOT one of those girls. I don't need you to make a name for myself. I don't want your dirty hands all over me. If I want to be known as being a slut or a mistress in a high profile relationship, I would!" Wait, that didn't come out right. She quickly shook her head and she tried to back pedal "I mean, that is not what I am interested and never will be! I have morals!"
Santana blinked and for the first time maybe ever she was actually a bit taken aback at the words she was hearing. She had heard a lot of things be said about her through the years. Yeah, she slept around, she cheated, and she used her money to get what she wanted. Girls knew it and girls didn't care. Some pretended to but really they were playing hard to get to get a little more out of Santana. They knew she showered new interests with gifts and the like until they slept with her. It was no secret how she ran her game, but for the first time ever Santana actually believed that Rachel was one hundred percent not interested. And that was so damn sexy to her.
Rachel saw the look Santana had. Was she about to get slapped? She didn't do well with pain. Santana moved her hand and Rachel flinched, closing one eye and expecting the worse.
Instead, Santana gently grabbed Rachel's hand, pulled a pen from her pocket of the jacket she wore over her dress, and scribbled down her phone number. She smirked as she double checked to make sure it was legible then she clicked her pen and pushed it back into her pocket with a wink "See you around, Rachel."
Santana turned and her hips did that super over exaggerated swaying thing with each step she took. Rachel couldn't take her eyes off her as her ass swung back and forth. Ugh, why couldn't she look away? Why did she like watching her walk away? How come she felt her gut tighten and a tingle shoot through her? Damn it.
"Rach?" Sam's voice cut through the dizzy feeling Rachel had from watching the girl saunter off.
"Huh?" Rachel blinked and looked at her friend now.
Sam and Ricky both stood there, staring at their friend with wide eyes "What just happened?" Sam asked softly.
"Nothing!" Rachel slid off the chair and her feet hit the floor. Shit, her legs were weak. She gripped the bar and licked her lips, pulling in a deep breath to steady herself. She looked up to her friends as if she hadn't almost just collapsed and shook her head again "I want to go home."
The both nodded and looped an arm through each one of Rachel's and headed for the door. Rachel wasn't even sure her feet touched the ground until they were down the block and heading into the subway again.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Holy shit, no way!" Sam gasped as she pulled Rachel's hand across the island in the kitchen to look at the number scribbled on her skin.
They had dropped off Ricky then headed to their apartment. Neither Sam nor Rachel were able to sleep so they had instead made some tea and gathered around the island with chairs pulled up on either side, chatting about the night together.
"She gave YOU her number. She didn't ask yours, she gave HER number to you. That is huge!"
"No it's not!" Rachel pulled her hand back and ran her thumb over the ink, trying to rub it off.
"Hey!" Sam quickly snatched back her hand, grabbed a marker and on the back of the power bill envelope wrote down the digits.
"Stop!" Rachel yanked her hand back just as Sam finished the last number. "Why did you do that?"
"Rachel, you have Santana Lopez's phone number. I'm not even a lesbian and I know how huge that is! You are totally a super star in the gay community now. You have the Hugh Hefner of lesbians' phone number. How are you not totally stoked?"
"Because, Sam, she is deplorable and inappropriate and forward! She is not my type at all."
"You could have fooled me. You practically have to pick your mouth up off the floor every time you see her."
"I do.." Rachel shook her head firmly "not!" She stumbled over the last word and looked away. Damn it, she did. Santana might be the hottest woman Rachel had ever seen. But knowing what she knew about her made her completely unattractive. Well, kind of.
Rachel sighed and looked at her friend, her hand coming up to rub at her eyes "I don't know, Sam. Yeah she's hot-"
"I knew it!"
"Shut up" Rachel scowled and looked at her friend before closing her eyes again "But she's with Jules. And before you tell me that doesn't matter…"
Sam closed her mouth, having been about to chime in.
"It does matter." Rachel mumbled, dropping her hand and opening her eyes. "I'm not the mistress type. If I sleep with someone I have to trust them. I don't do one night stands. I mean, I fooled around with girls in high school because we were friends and we all had theater together. I knew those girls for years. And Annie and I were close because she was my understudy. She was sweet and kind. It wasn't until after we messed around that she told me she wasn't out and didn't want to be out." Rachel shrugged at that. "I totally could have dated her if not for that."
"At least Santana is out." Sam said with a smile, trying so hard not to laugh at that.
Rachel glared at her friend "Funny."
Sam grinned "I thought so!"
Rachel picked up a piece of paper, made sure it wasn't important, then crumbled it and tossed it at her friend. "You missed my point. She is a player. She would get what she wanted from me and then toss me aside. I am too smart to let myself do that, no matter how hot she might be. I am worth more than that."
"Of course you are, sweetie" Sam said sincerely, reaching over to take her friend's hand.
"Why do I feel like there is a but attached to that statement?"
"What do you take me for?" Sam gasped, giving her hand a squeeze before smiling sweetly "But.."
Rachel rolled her eyes.
"But honey, you're young. It's normal to hook up with random people and never see them again. No one says you have to fall in love with everyone you sleep with."
"But it would be so meaningless. I would feel dirty and cheap." Rachel's lip curled up on one side at the thought.
"You would be normal, though. No one would judge you. I mean, the girl is hot! No one would blame you for giving in."
"That's the point, though. She's not even interested. I am just another prize. Another name on her list. I could understand you meet someone at a club and are genuinely attracted to them, you connect sort of, sleep together, and that's that. At least you two genuinely made some sort of connect, you know?"
Sam thought about it. She had been pretty honest with the guys she had hooked up with that all she was looking for was sex, but yes, she did find at least one thing in common with the guy that had initially set off her attraction. "Okay, good point."
"With Santana, she isn't even interested in that. She just wants to…to…fuck!"
Sam gasped, then giggled "You said fuck! I am so proud of you."
"I've sworn before" Rachel mumbled.
"I know, but you used it in a way when talking about sex and I just…I just.." She squealed and lifted her hand, kissing Rachel's knuckles "I am so proud of you!"
"Oh bite me" Rachel tugged her hand back with a scowl.
"Anyway, go on."
Rachel sighed and dropped her hands into her lap. Her palm fell up and she couldn't help but run her thumb over the ink staring back at her "I can handle casual sex. I mean, if two people genuinely tried to find a connection, were honest about just wanting sex, and agreed it was alright. Maybe something clicks and they actually fall in love and all that fairytale stuff." She looked up at her friend now and shrugged "But with Santana it would just be another mark on her headboard, so to speak. All she wants is another victory. She doesn't care with who or how it happens, she just wants it to happen to prove all over again how hot she is, how no one can say no, and how she is top dog, so to speak."
Sam nodded slowly. She was starting to understand.
"Rach, listen. You know I love you and I'm not going to shove you into the arms of a woman who could hurt you. I am just teasing and I think it's incredible that you have the attention of not only the biggest player in the world, but Jules' girlfriend! Do you know how awesome that is?"
Rachel tried to fight her smile, but couldn't and it slowly grew until it reached her ears "Okay, that part is pretty hilarious. Could you imagine seeing her face when she realized her girlfriend wanted me?"
The two girls stared at each other for a moment with giddy grins before they couldn't hold it back and their joy over took them into a fit of giggles. They both hated that girl, it would be so sweet to knock her down a peg or two.
"God I wish it was me, I would totally sleep with her just to see that look on Jules' face."
Rachel rolled her eyes "And yet the thought of kissing me disgusts you!"
"Hey! You're like a sister to me!"
Rachel laughed, rolling her eyes. She had tried once to make out with her friend. It was a huge mistake. She was drunk and Rachel was lonely. The girl had come home, inhibitions lowered, and Rachel thought maybe she would get the truth out of her. Maybe she just said she didn't like girls. So as they sat on the couch and talked that night, Rachel had told her she was pretty and tried to kiss her. Sam sobered up real fast and pushed her away. The next morning was awkward but after talking it through, the two of them had buried the hatchet and moved on. Rachel would never, ever, ever try to kiss a straight girl again, no matter how drunk they were.
Shaking the thought away, Rachel sighed and looked at her friend "So anyway. I think I'm just going to ignore Santana. She's not worth my time."
"Even though she is super hot." Sam added
Rachel rolled her eyes "Even though she is way super hot. But that only accounts for so much."
"You should think about it" Sam said softly "I mean, calling her. I just want to know what she would say if you did. She doesn't give out her number. You've got her attention."
"I don't want her attention if all I am is a prize."
"I know."
Rachel sighed, her eyes falling to her hand again.
Sam slid off her chair and walked around to her friend, giving her a little nudge "If you weren't the slightest bit curious, we wouldn't be having this conversation. That's all I'm saying." Sam leaned in and kissed Rachel's forehead lightly. "Goodnight, short stuff." She gave her a wink then walked out of the kitchen toward her bedroom.
Rachel frowned. Sam was right, they wouldn't be going over and over and over again if Rachel wasn't interested. She was conflicted. She had no idea why she was interested, she shouldn't be, for so many reasons and yet she was. She hated that she was. She sighed and slipped off the stool, turned to the sink and washed the number off her hand. She couldn't think about it anymore tonight. She had to get rid of the damn number and go to sleep. She had no right thinking of another person's girlfriend, no matter how much she despised that person and no matter how hot she was. She was really hot, though.