Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the characters. If I did Werri would still be married. And making babies.
Fancy Meeting You Here
"Louise, will you please come here." Terri said sternly, her hands on her hips, staring at the couch that had just been set in front of her. A petite woman scurried into the room, her heels clicking obnoxiously against the hardwood floor, her oversized glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.
"Yes Mrs. Del Monaco?" she asked quietly.
"Would you mind telling me what color this couch is?"
"It's uhm, it's red. Well, it's ruby red."
"Right…ruby red." she responded with a nod of her head, her jaw clenching as she forced her lips to curve into a smile. "And would you just remind me of what color I asked for?" Her lips pursed tightly, eyebrows arched expectantly. The woman flipped through her notes, visibly paling in moments.
"Maroon…"
"Could you speak up? I couldn't hear you." Of course she could hear her, but she needed her to understand the magnitude of this error.
"Maroon. You asked for maroon." A bitter laugh slipped from her lips and she rubbed her temples gently.
"Yes, I did. I asked you to order this couch in maroon. So please help me understand why it's ruby red!" Her tone increased with each word, her frustration seeping from every inch of her. "I cannot afford these simple mistakes, Louise! I am the most sought after interior decorator in this city, and my reputation cannot afford to take a hit." With an agitated sigh and a flip of her hair she left Louise standing next to the incorrect piece of furniture, shutting herself up in the den with her cell phone.
Leaving Lima had never been a reality for her; sure, it had been a lifelong dream, but never something she saw in her future… Will had picked up the teaching gig to get them some extra cash, so they could afford the down-payment on an apartment somewhere far away. Before long he fell in love with the job and they were stuck. About a year after the divorce she had made the decision to venture out on her own, start a new life for herself rather than stick around to watch Will find his way back to his precious Emma. She had wound up in New York, with enough money set aside to afford a small apartment. It had been almost two years now, and she had successfully worked her way up the ladder, and was one of the leading interior decorators in the city, and soon enough she was sure to be number one in the state.
"Another drink! I need another drink." she muttered with a sloppy grin.
"Someone is in an especially good mood tonight." Jason nudged her shoulder gently, smirking confidently at her. He had been one of the first people she had met in New York, he lived in the apartment across from her. Jason had been a good friend to her, when she set aside the fact that ninety nine percent of the time he was trying to get in her pants.
"Despite my imbecile of an assistant, today has been wonderful. I managed to finish the Martin's living room and I picked up two new clients. New York is so damn good to me!" she exclaimed, tilting her head back and laughing. Terri wasn't drunk, she couldn't even recall the last time she was drunk. But she was tipsy, high off of her environment, the turn her life had taken, finally happy after a year of pure heartache. "Mr. Bartender, my glass is still empty. Keep up!" she added, her soft giggle turning into a delicate hiccup.
"God, even your hiccups are adorable." His hand slipped onto her thigh, fingertips tracing along the smooth skin, brushing just underneath the hem of her skirt.
"Jason…" she warned, pushing his hand away firmly. "Do not ruin my evening. I'm in a good mood, but that doesn't mean my legs are just going to open up for you." Terri rolled her eyes, taking a long sip of her drink. She set some dollar bills on the bar and sent a warm smile in the bartender's direction. "Goodnight. And please, don't follow me out." The night air was cool against her warm skin, the moon was full, and the city was practically buzzing. The city that never sleeps. Her apartment was about four blocks away, and she wasn't in the mood to be hit on by some scummy cab driver that smelled of hot dogs and stale cigarettes…walking it was. She licked her lips absentmindedly, running a hand through her hair as she weaved slowly through a small crowd. Her heel got caught in a crack in the sidewalk, she managed to catch herself but her wallet flew out of her hands and hit the pavement with a soft thud. "Damn it." she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Let me get that for you…are you okay?" Terri sighed dramatically, already regretting her decision to walk home in her current inebriated state.
"Yeah, I'm fine. These damn heels catch on every little crack and I…" Her words trailed off as she met the gaze of the man who had helped her. "Will?" she questioned, eyes wide, heart pounding furiously in her chest, the butterflies in the pit of her stomach reawakening.
"Ter?" Her chest tightened at the sound of her nickname rolling off his tongue with such ease. The tension was thick in the air around them, overwhelming her already blurred mind.
"Fancy meeting you here..."