Chapter 2
Beca tossed her keys and phone on the counter before heading down the hall to the outdoors living room where she knew she would find Stacie. The brunette was lounging on the couch, with a textbook cracked, and her eyes trained on her laptop.
"I thought you were done for the week," questioned Beca as she plopped down on the sofa and sighed in relief. The sound of the fountains by the pool was hypnotic and she burrowed into the sofa, ready to relax for the rest of the evening.
"I am helping Dr. Mao with a few last minute findings. I figured you wouldn't be home until much later."
"I finished up early and wanted to get home to make sure the house was clean before our guests arrive tomorrow."
"We have a maid service. Stop being neurotic," mumbled Stacie as she furiously typed on her computer. She pressed send, sighed in relief, and tossed her black-rimmed glasses on the coffee table before smiling mischievously at her best friend.
"I made sure everything is perfect for your girlfriend," she teased and Beca tried to hide her blush.
"She isn't my girlfriend and that isn't a joke you need to tell when the Bellas arrive. She is getting married. It is in bad taste now."
"Not for another year and I think we both know you are excited about her being here. Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"
"Jesus Christ, do we really have to do this again?"
"It took you a million years to see the obvious, but you do now and that is what matters. Are you really not going to step up before she marries the frat boy?"
"I am sure Tom is a nice guy. He seemed nice enough before."
"You mean when he was checking you out in the shower?"
"I don't know what you expect for me to do, Stace. She said yes. They are engaged and I am not going to ruin her happiness by bringing up my feelings for her. I am too late, alright? I have accepted that, so why don't you?"
"Because it is utter bullshit. You two have something special and always have, why are you always looking for reasons to not be with her," exclaimed Stacie and Beca crossed her arms.
"I'm sorry is this about me and Chloe or you and Aubrey?"
"Oh I am well aware of my issues with Bree, but don't change the subject. It isn't too late, Bec. It isn't exactly early either, but this is it. This is your last chance and if you don't take it, you will regret it."
"She already said yes to him."
"Because you haven't given her a reason not to!"
"I am not going to break up their happy home because I realized Chloe means more to me than I thought. That isn't fair to them."
"They aren't married yet, Bec, and you know what would be worse? Watching the love of your life walk down the aisle to the frat boy because you didn't sack up in time. That's when it would be too late, Beca, so sack up, dude!"
"Chloe and I are friends so how about you take your own advice and give Posen an ultimatum. You know she isn't seeing anyone and I know you have kept the Hunter off the prowl because you don't want to deal with all those feelings you have done a stellar job of burying for years. How about instead of worrying about me when the Bellas come in tomorrow, you worry about you and Posen's weird game."
"I can multitask. Besides, Bree is the one that has to decide what she wants. A part of me thinks she already has," grumbled Stacie as she fell back onto the couch and stared at the ceiling.
"I don't know what you see in her anyways."
"Beautiful eyes, sexy as hell voice, brilliant, fiery, determined, ambitious, and the best sex I have ever had, would you like me to start in on her body or…"
"I get it," laughed Beca as she shook her head.
"Good, by the way, the extra beds came in today and they have already been set up in the rooms."
"I still cannot believe you talked me into adding beds in rooms we never use."
"There are a lot of Bellas and it would be weird to have some of them sleeping on couches or air mattresses. Don't worry, I took it out of my trust fund."
"I am sure your parents just loved that."
"It is my money and besides, they are just happy I don't go on the spending sprees my brothers do. I am slumming it compared to them," assured Stacie and Beca scoffed as she looked around.
"Um, do they realize how much this place costs and where we live? I thought my dad was going to have a heart attack when he first came to visit and saw it."
"I still can't believe he thinks we are lovers, as if you could handle me."
"First off, you wish, Hunter. Second, he is old school and doesn't understand how we can live together and have nothing going on, especially since we can technically afford our own places."
"Just give him a big sob story about two defenseless little women living in the den of sin we call L.A. I am sure he would love that. Probably even demand we get more security because of it," teased Stacie and Beca stuck her tongue out at her.
"You sure Mikey should go with you to pick them up tomorrow? I can reschedule with Hayley."
"It will be fine and I am sure it will be a pleasant surprise for Emily. Don't be shocked if those two bone while she is here."
"Dude, no," exclaimed Beca as she covered her ears and Stacie laughed.
"I am surprised they didn't last summer when she visited. I think they would be cute together."
"And I think you need to stop trying to get Em laid every time you see her!"
"She is like my baby sister. It is my job to make sure she is picking good suitors in the bedroom."
"That is totally not your job! Anyway, I am hungry. What's for dinner?"
"What do I look like, your wife? You tell me!"
"Ugh! Good to know I am not the only one high strung because Chloe and Bree are coming in town."
"Funny how I mention a wife and you mentioned Chloe." Beca flipped her off and stood up.
"I am ordering pizza, you weirdo."
"Extra cheese please," called Stacie with a giggle, but her smile faded once Beca walked back inside. Her friend was right. She was high strung and the butterflies in her stomach were in full throttle knowing that she would get to see Aubrey the next day.
Aubrey took in a deep breath and closed her eyes as she imagined herself on a beach, the waves crashing into the shore, the smell of saltwater in the air. It was a trick Stacie taught her years ago for when she was anxious and she smiled as it worked. She, Chloe, and Emily just landed at LAX and were heading for the café where they were meeting the rest of the Bellas. Emily squealed with delight when she saw Cynthia Rose and Amy sitting on a bench outside of the restaurant and hurried over to hug them. Aubrey took in a deep breath and Chloe gripped her hand comfortingly.
"When in doubt, remember that we are here to enjoy time with the rest of the Bellas as well. Besides, we still have to get our luggage before you have to see her," whispered Chloe before jogging over to greet her friends as more of the Bellas arrived by the bench. Aubrey hung back for a moment as she tried to bring down her stress levels. She knew it wasn't about seeing the Bellas again after so long. It was that with each minute, she got closer to seeing Stacie again and she wasn't sure how the brunette would respond. She put on a smile and went to hug each of the Bellas as they laughed and greeted one another.
"Still looking uptight, but sexy as hell, Posen," teased Cynthia Rose and Aubrey gave her a playful glare.
"I will have you know, I have loosened up quite a bit since the last time we saw each other," assured Aubrey as they hugged.
"Maybe the Hunter will loosen you up even more," said Amy and the others gave her scolding looks as Aubrey swallowed thickly. Amy shrugged.
"What, oh, we are still doing the pretend we don't know who wants to shag thing? Oh, okay, cool, Aubrey, I am sure you do not want to hump the Hunter and Chloe, I am sure now that you are getting married, you have completely lost your toner for the big BM," said Amy. She winced when Cynthia Rose and Flo nudged her.
"Ow, careful, I may have extra padding, but your bony elbows still hurt," exclaimed Amy.
"Good to see Amy still has no filter," giggled Ashley as she and Jessica walked over to the group. They all hugged again and did their handshake.
"Bellas for Life," they said in unison before laughing even more. They all fell into easy conversation as they headed for the baggage claim areas. Some were at different gates and they each agreed to meet back by the carousel Emily, Aubrey, and Chloe were waiting at for theirs.
"Is that really a thing?"
"Is what a thing, Bree," asked Chloe as she grabbed one of Emily's bags from the moving carousel and handed it to her.
"Does everyone know about me and Stace," questioned Aubrey and Chloe shrugged.
"You two are cute together and would sneak off from time to time, but of course I noticed because I knew from you. Em, what do you think," asked Chloe and Emily's eyes widened as the two of them waited for an answer.
"Me, you want to know what I think about Staubrey and Bechloe….I mean all of you…as individuals…not that we came up with cute nicknames for you or anything…that would be weird. I should probably stop talking. What was the question? Uh, the fifth, I plead the fifth," concluded Emily and Aubrey rolled her eyes as Chloe giggled.
"You are so adorable," said Chloe as she hugged Emily.
"Thanks, Moms, it is the only thing saving me from Aubrey's death stare right now," said Emily and Chloe arched an eyebrow at her best friend.
"Leave her alone," warned Chloe and Aubrey sighed.
"Fine, but for the record, Stacie and I are not a thing," she assured and Emily profusely nodded.
"Right, totally," said Emily.
"What's going on," asked Amy as the rest of the Bellas came over with their luggage in tow.
"Oh, nothing, Aubrey just wanted to make sure that I know that she and Stacie aren't together," informed Emily.
"Right," giggled Cynthia Rose and Flo slowly nodded.
"You know, in my country, telling a lie is punished by having your tongue cut out," informed Flo.
"Then I guess Aubrey and Chloe's tongues should be grateful they are Americans," said Jessica.
"To be fair, Chloe hasn't denied it," reminded Ashley.
"Which is weird because she is engaged," added Amy.
"Am I the only one surprised by that announcement, especially with Tom," asked Cynthia Rose.
"Sometimes, I think about killing him just to get him out of the picture," whispered Lilly as they headed toward the exit, but glanced at her sideways.
"Murder seems a bit harsh. I was hoping more for a kidnapping or threats on his life for ruining Bhloe for us," said Amy.
"I thought we agreed on Bechloe," questioned Emily and before Chloe could respond, Aubrey clapped her hands loudly.
"Alright, enough with the weird names and talking like we are not right here. We are here to celebrate Chloe's engagement and have a much needed Bellas Reunion. There will be no more talk about Bhloe, Bechloe, or anything else…" Amy interrupted Aubrey.
"Staubrey, you and Stacie are…."
"Stacie and I are not a couple. We are just good friends and there is nothing but platonic feelings between us. Understood," she demanded more than asked as they walked outside. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Stacie leaning against the hood of a black Escalade with her legs crossed. Stacie beamed with happiness when she saw them and Aubrey gulped as some of the others ran over to hug her.
"Shit," whispered Aubrey and Cynthia Rose nodded as she looked Stacie up and down.
"Damn, it just isn't fair. No one should look that good. How did she get even finer," asked Cynthia Rose as she and Aubrey gazed at Stacie. The leggy brunette was wearing strappy high heels and a pair of jean shorts. Her blouse had an amount of cleavage that left Aubrey's mouth dry and her tanned skin made her wonder how often she went to the beach. Her hair had blonde highlights and she looked like she stepped out of a photoshoot.
"California has been good to you," said Cynthia Rose with a whistle as she walked over to hug Stacie.
"Always such a tease, CR," laughed Stacie. Her eyes locked with Aubrey's and she smiled.
"Hey, Bree," said Stacie and Aubrey gulped.
"Hey," replied Aubrey. The sexual tension was palpable and the rest of the Bellas looked on in amusement as the two hugged.
"It's good to see you," admitted Stacie.
"Yea, same, it has been too long," agreed Aubrey. The sound of a deep voice behind them pulled them out of their moment as the two women smiled at one another.
"Thanks for the introduction, Stace," chuckled the handsome man as he walked over and Emily gasped.
"Mikey," exclaimed Emily and he laughed as she jumped into his arms.
"Good to know you missed me too, Em," he chuckled and twirled her around.
"Who's the man candy," asked Amy and Emily beamed with happiness.
"Amy, Bellas, this is Mikey. He works with Beca at Residual Heat. Mikey, this is Amy, Cynthia Rose, Chloe, Aubrey, Flo, Jessica, Ashley, and Lilly, the Bellas," introduced Emily. He slipped his hand into Emily's and waved at the others.
"Bellas, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard some crazy stories and it is nice to put faces to the names. Stace, we should get going. Traffic is going to suck either way but we really want to beat the lunch hour rush," he reminded and Stacie nodded.
"Right, let's get going. We figured we could head over to the studio first so you can see Bec in her element. Mikey and I will drive us there. She had to finish up one last thing before taking off, but don't worry, she is off all weekend and next week," assured Stacie, mainly to Chloe, as Mikey started putting the luggage into the two Escalades. Everyone piled into the luxury SUVs with Aubrey, Chloe, Cynthia Rose, Jessica, and Ashley riding with Stacie and Emily, Flo, Amy, and Lilly riding with Mikey. Stacie sent a quick text on her phone before pulling onto the road.
"Are you texting Beca," asked Chloe and Stacie winked at her in the rearview mirror.
"Yep, letting her know we are on our way, but I doubt she will see it. She is working with Hayley and finalizing their last track."
"Hayley, which Hayley," asked Chloe.
"Hayley Williams," asked Ashley.
"Haley Reinhart," asked Jessica.
"Hayley Westenra," asked Aubrey and everyone looked at her confused.
"What, she is a singer from New Zealand," informed Aubrey and Cynthia Rose smirked.
"Yes, Aubrey, that's who Beca would work with," laughed Cynthia Rose and Stacie giggled.
"Hayley Kiyoko, they are about to release her new single and it is a banger. You have to hear it. Maybe you will be able to if damn L.A. drivers will hurry their asses up," said Stacie and Aubrey giggled.
"Still not used to the traffic," teased Aubrey and Stacie groaned as she shook her head.
"Bec and I live like 12 miles away from UCLA, if that, and it takes me an hour to get there. I hate the traffic here. It takes hours off of your life each day and sucks the life force out of you."
"Way to not be dramatic, Stace," joked Aubrey and Stacie stuck her tongue out at her. Chloe, Cynthia Rose, Jessica, and Ashley smiled knowingly at their interaction and Stacie turned on the radio.
An hour later, they were finally arriving in Burbank, but the trip went smoothly since the Bellas enjoyed using the time as a chance to pretend they were doing Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. As soon as they walked into the studio, all the Bellas were in awe.
"Welcome to Residual Heat, my home away from home," said Mikey. The receptionist handed him a clipboard with forms on it and he handed the Bellas pens.
"Thanks, Stevie, alright, so in order to go beyond this point, you have to sign NDAs," informed Mikey.
"NDA," asked Flo as Mikey handed all but Stacie and Emily the forms.
"Non-disclosure agreements, it is standard practice because you never know what you are going to see or hear in the studio. I had to sign one last summer," explained Emily and Stacie nodded.
"Plus, no pictures or recording video back there, none whatsoever, got it Amy," asked Stacie and Amy huffed.
"Why is everyone looking at me," she asked as the rest of the Bellas smirked.
"Because you love revealing secrets, but this is no joke. Nothing can leak, understand," asked Stacie and Amy nodded as she signed the form and turned off her phone.
"See, off, just for good measure, sheesh I feel like I am walking into FBI Headquarters or something," said Amy.
"No, they would confiscate your phone and make you go through a metal detector," whispered Lilly and Mikey frowned in confusion.
"How does she know…"
"We don't ask questions, Mikey," said Emily as she shook her head. They all signed the forms and turned off their phones before he opened the double doors. They walked through a spacious lounge that led to multiple hallways and Mikey led them down the main entrance. They followed him into a room with a glowing sign reading "Production in Progress" above the door and Stacie smiled when she saw Sammy nodding along as he watched from a couch.
"Hey Legs," he said and waved to the rest of the Bellas before hugging Stacie.
"Hey Sammy, these are the Bellas. How much longer does she have in there," asked Stacie and Chloe beamed with happiness when she saw Beca focused on a sound board and speaking into a microphone.
"They are almost done. Hayley just finished up in the booth and they are about to play it back one more time. You guys made perfect timing. NDAs signed," asked Sammy and Mikey gave him a thumbs up. Sammy motioned for them to sit down.
"Make yourselves at home. Any friends of Reggie's are friends of mine. Hey Legacy, long time no see," he said and Emily hugged him.
"I still resent the fact that I am Legs, Beca is Reggie, and Em is just Legacy to you."
"You already gave her a nickname. I like nicknames," he defended. He shushed her before Stacie could quip back and turned up the volume on the speakers. They could hear the conversation between Beca and Hayley as the singer exited the booth and sat down beside the producer. The windows surrounding the room Beca was in were tinted and she was only focused on the musician.
"I'm happy with it, but that isn't the point. The real question is, are you happy with it," asked Beca and Hayley nodded with a bright grin.
"Yes, I am. I can't believe you took a venting session and turned it into this."
"That's my job. How about we hear it one more time from the top? Just listen to it this time though, don't worry about singing it. Listen to it like you are turning on the radio for the first time and hearing it. This is a summer hit. I believe it can be the song of the summer, at the top of every summer playlist, so let's see if you agree," suggested Beca as she played it back again and Hayley began dancing to it in her chair.
Yeah
I need a drink, whiskey ain't my thing
But shit is all good
I can handle things- like I wish that you would
You've been out of reach, could you explain?
I think that you should
What you been up to?
Who's been loving you good?
I'm just on the floor, I'm like a model
Been looking through the texts and all the photos
But don't you worry, I can handle it
No, don't you worry, I can handle it
If you let him touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya (yeah)
The way I used to, used to, used to, used to, used to, used to (yeah)
Did you take him to the pier in Santa Monica?
Forget to bring a jacket, wrap up in him cause you wanted to?
I'm just curious, is it serious?
I'm just curious, is it serious?
Aubrey's eyes widened when realization dawned on her and she noticed Stacie quietly singing along to the song.
"Wait, did you sing backup on this," asked Aubrey and Stacie's eyes widened as Sammy gave an impressed nod in Aubrey's direction.
"Good ear, yea Legs was here when they first started working on the track and Beca asked her to put down vocals," informed Sammy and Stacie blushed.
"It was just supposed to fill in until they got a professional," explained Stacie, but Sammy scoffed.
"Since when are you modest, Legs? This is good, right," said Sammy as the others nodded in agreement and listened. Stacie averted her eyes from Aubrey's while Chloe kept her eyes trained on Beca and listened to the lyrics.
Calling me up, so late at night
Are we just friends?
You say you wanted me, but you're sleeping with him
You think of me, I'm what you see
When you look at the sky
I don't believe you
You ain't been loving me right (yeah)
I'm just on the floor, I'm like a model
Been looking through the texts and all the photos
But don't you worry I can handle it
No, don't you worry I can handle it
If you let him touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya (yeah)
The way I used to, used to, used to, used to, used to, used to (yeah)
Did you take him to the pier in Santa Monica?
Forget to bring a jacket, wrap up in him cause you wanted to?
I'm just curious, is it serious?
If you let him touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya (yeah)
The way I used to, used to, used to, used to, used to, used to (yeah)
Did you take him to the pier in Santa Monica?
Forget to bring a jacket, wrap up in him cause you wanted to?
I'm just curious, is it serious?
I'm just on the floor, I'm like a model
Been looking through the texts and all the photos
But don't you worry I can handle it
No, don't you worry I can handle it
If you let him, if you let him
If you let him touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya, touch ya (yeah)
The way I used to, used to, used to, used to, used to, used to (yeah)
Did you take him to the pier in Santa Monica?
Forget to bring a jacket, wrap up in him cause you wanted to?
I'm just curious, is it serious?
I'm just curious, is it serious?
Once the track ended, the Bellas erupted into cheers and Beca looked around the room when she heard the faint sound of voices. She blushed when Sammy opened the door and the Bellas filed in.
"Well, your first test audience loved it," said Sammy as the Bellas hugged Beca. Hayley smiled at their interactions and Beca waved her over.
"Guys, this is Hayley. Hayley, these are my friends. We were in an acapella group in college together."
"Right, that's why you have so many musically gifted friends. Thanks again for performing backup, Stacie," said Hayley as she kissed the top of Stacie's hand and Stacie pretended to swoon.
"Anytime with a thank you like that," she teased and Chloe had to hide her smile when she noticed the way Aubrey tensed up at their interaction. Her smugness was short-lived when Beca pulled her in for a hug, causing her to melt into the embrace.
"Hey, Chlo, I am so glad you are here," Beca whispered into her ear and Chloe tried not to show how affected she was by the woman that was constantly on her mind.
"Thanks for letting us come out and fitting us into your schedule. I know how busy you are."
"Never too busy for you," assured Beca as their eyes locked and Hayley let out a low whistle.
"Chloe, was it? You are very beautiful and I love the color of your eyes. I have never seen a blue like that," complimented Hayley and Beca cleared her throat as Chloe smiled.
"Forgive her. She is a natural flirt," assured Beca and Hayley smirked at her before turning her attention to the rest of the Bellas.
"Since you are all musically talented, I would love to know what you really think. Please, be brutal, how was it," asked Hayley. She smiled at their praise and Stacie winked at her.
"Do you really think I would sing on a song that was trash or just another pop tune," asked Stacie and Cynthia Rose smiled at Hayley.
"That's fire right there," assured Cynthia Rose.
"What's it called," asked Jessica.
"When will it be released," asked Ashley.
"It's called Curious and should be out next month if all goes according to plan."
"You aren't going to change the lyrics to be about a boy are you? I would love for there to finally be more songs I can relate to," said Cynthia Rose and Hayley beamed with pride.
"That's the whole point. It is about time girls get to sing about being into girls, you know? Beca and I want to keep releasing music that reflects that," assured Hayley.
"It is definitely going to be on the Top 40 this summer. I can imagine listening to it at the beach or by the pool," said Chloe and Hayley winked at her.
"Thanks, that is high compliments from such a beautiful woman," flirted Hayley as she smiled and Beca rolled her eyes.
"Alright, we should head out. I am starving and you have some pressers to do," said Beca as she ushered the Bellas out of the room. They all said their goodbyes and headed toward the exit as Chloe smiled.
"I am happy to see you, Becs," said Chloe as she wrapped an arm around Beca, who sighed happily.
"I missed you a lot, Chlo," confessed Beca and Chloe kissed her cheek.
"I did too and I can't wait to spend time with you and hear all about the Amazing Beca Mitchell."
"The Big BM," called Amy behind them and Beca rolled her eyes, but smiled.
"I missed all you awesome nerds," said Beca as the rest of the Bellas smiled. Beca glanced over to her side and saw Stacie and Aubrey walking together beside her. Aubrey opened one of the double doors and placed her hand on the small of Stacie's back as Stacie walked through it. Stacie playfully glared at Beca as Beca smiled smugly at her.
"Just like old times," whispered Beca to Stacie and she laughed when her best friend said nothing, but smiled.
For lunch, Stacie, Beca, and Mikey took them to the Santa Monica Pier to eat at one of their favorite restaurants. The chemistry between Emily and Mikey was on full display during their time there, so it was no surprise when they decided to go off on their own to get on rides and enjoy the small amusement park. Most of the Bellas perused the food stands for desserts and posed for pictures on the pier, but Chloe managed to persuade Beca to go on the Ferris wheel with her. Beca tried to pretend she was annoyed as they waited in line for the ride, but she couldn't hide her smile when Chloe got out her phone to take silly pictures with her. Soon, Beca was joining in on the fun and they were laughing.
"You are such a nerd," she teased Chloe, who nudged her.
"I am a tourist enjoying sunny California and you are my beautiful tour guide. Indulge me."
"Fine, but only because you are my best friend and out here celebrating your engagement. Any other time you would be left to your own devices," she teased, but the mention of the engagement sucked the air out of their bubble. They both looked down and Beca sighed as she glanced over at the diamond on Chloe's finger.
"He's good to you, right? I mean I don't need to fly to Atlanta and kick his ass for being possessive or not knowing what he has?" Chloe slowly nodded and swallowed thickly.
"Tom is nice. You met him, remember?"
"We were in the shower naked. I didn't exactly get a good read on him."
"He wants a future for us." Chloe looked out at the ocean and it took everything in Beca to not press forward with more questions. Nothing Chloe said meant that she was in love with him and Beca knew that Chloe Beale loved wholeheartedly. She loved people simply for existing and she wanted to know why the red head wasn't going on about how amazing Tom was, but a part of her was afraid to know the answer. Instead, she changed the subject.
"So, how is the dance studio? Your videos are amazing by the way. I don't think I have ever told you that."
"Thanks and you didn't have to. You showed me when you started retweeting my videos online. You have a lot of followers on social media and I definitely saw the surge in revenue on YouTube. I even started getting more inquiries about joining my dance classes. Any friend of famous music producer Beca Mitchell must know what they are doing," she said with a giggle and Beca smiled.
"Yea, well it was the least I can do. Your videos are great."
"Really, you really think so," asked Chloe hopefully as she nervously bit her lip and Beca scoffed.
"Totally, Chlo, I mean the way you move is amazing, totally sexy….uh I mean, cool, totally cool."
"Nice catch there, Mitchell," teased Chloe as Beca blushed. She sighed in relief when their car stopped at the bottom and the operator let them off. She hopped out and Chloe laced their fingers together when Beca held her hand out to her. Beca tried to ignore the way her heart raced at the contact and smiled as Chloe led her over to a stand for cotton candy.
Aubrey was standing at the edge of the pier, leaning against the railing and gazing out at the ocean. The breeze washed over her and she tried to relax. She tried to pretend like she didn't know why she was tense. She told herself she was on vacation and should be relaxing with her friends, but the way her heart fluttered each time Stacie looked at her was confusing.
"Penny for your thoughts, actually I never understood why people say that. Why are my thoughts only worth a penny? Mark Zuckerberg has obviously proven that giving a platform for people to share their thoughts on is worth way more than that," explained Stacie as she joined her by the railing, but Aubrey only gave a small smile.
"What is going on with you, Bree? You have been off since you got here. I thought it was just the flight."
"We are staying with you and Beca, right?" Stacie nodded.
"Yea, so," she asked in confusion.
"So you two live together. She is a chart topping music producer and you are an heiress. You both can have your own places and yet you live together."
"Wait, is that why you were practically ignoring Beca at lunch? You think we are sleeping together?"
"I know you Stacie and when the phone calls stopped coming, I just assumed you moved on. I didn't know it was with Beca, but you two should just tell everyone if you are a thing." Stacie shook her head in disbelief.
"I can't believe you right now."
"What else am I supposed to think?"
"Yeah because there is no way that I could just live with someone without creeping into their bed every night, right? It couldn't be that Beca is my best friend or like a sister to me and we were both coming to a new place and starting new chapters in our lives. It couldn't be that we spent years living together at Barden and it made sense. It couldn't even be that I stopped calling because I was tired of getting the runaround about how busy you were or getting your voicemail. The only reason I must live with Beca is because I can't keep it in my pants and still want to be viewed as the slut of Barden."
"I never once called you that."
"You didn't have to, Bree. You just treated me like it." Before Aubrey could respond, Cynthia Rose walked over to them.
"Stace, there you are. You promised I could treat you to a beer at the bar. Are we still on," asked Cynthia Rose and Stacie smirked at Aubrey as the blonde pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Definitely, let's go," said Stacie before leading Cynthia Rose into the biggest bar of the pier overlooking the water. She sighed in relief when they sat down on two stools.
"Thanks for saving me back there, CR."
"Actually, I was saving Posen. You looked like you were ready to kill her and I wasn't ready for that type of girl fight, at least not on the first day. I heard what was going down and knew I should step in before you said something you would regret."
"She already did."
"Aw come on, Stace, she was just asking what a lot of us were curious about and if I was interested in being with you, I would want to know too," admitted Cynthia Rose and Stacie looked at her in shock.
"You are taking her side?"
"No, I am stating the obvious. Two women that dig chicks…even though I am still not sure if Beca has finally admitted that to herself…live together just because they can. A girl can be curious can't she or maybe in Posen's case even jealous?" Stacie smirked.
"Aubrey Posen doesn't get jealous in relationships or whatever the hell we were. She gets jealous of people that accomplish more than her or lead better than her, like Beca, but not about who I am screwing. She doesn't even care."
"And yet she asked on the very first day we got here….before we even got back to the house. You know, watching you two and Beca and Chloe was fun for a while, but now it is just exhausting. Hell, at least with those two I can say just get horizontal already and get it over with, but you and Aubrey have done plenty of that. When are you two going to realize you should be more?" Stacie ordered two beers for them and sighed.
"I realized that a while ago, but it isn't up to me. We aren't practical in her mind, nothing about us is, and Aubrey Posen doesn't do anything that isn't practical."
"She did you," reminded Cynthia Rose as the bartender handed her a beer and tried to hide his laugh. Stacie glared at him and he smiled apologetically as he set hers down.
"On the house," he said before hurrying away.
"Well hot damn at least your crazy relationship got us something," joked Cynthia Rose and Stacie giggled as they clinked bottles.
"To free alcohol," toasted Stacie and Cynthia Rose winked at her.
"She was totally jealous and trying to figure out her next move by the way."
"You think so?"
"I know so. Posen needs to get her head out of her ass, but you need to read her signals when she is throwing them your way. I thought the Hunter was supposed to be better at this."
"The Hunter is great at sexual advances. I don't know what the hell Bree and I are and it is frustrating. I am so off my game with her," confessed Stacie and Cynthia Rose winked at her.
"Probably because what is between you isn't just sex anymore and you both know it now." Stacie thought for a moment and gasped.
"She really is jealous of Beca," she said in disbelief and Cynthia Rose gave her a nod.
"Welcome back to earth, Hunter. I got you a hot blonde as your homecoming gift," teased Cynthia Rose and Stacie groaned as she tried to figure out how to deal with Aubrey.
By the time they headed back from the pier and sat in traffic for an hour, the Bellas were exhausted. It had been a long day and most of them were still in a different time zone, making it more like eleven at night instead of eight. They had plans for sightseeing in the morning and were ready to get settled in at Beca and Stacie's house. Beca glanced over at Stacie, sensing how tense her friend was as she drove home. Her hands tightly gripped the steering wheel and Beca didn't miss how Stacie suggested she sit in the front instead of Aubrey. Stacie relaxed a bit as they turned onto the road leading to their house and off of Los Feliz Boulevard.
"Almost home," said Stacie and Beca pulled out the remote to open the gates to the gated community they lived in.
"Wow, these houses are huge," said Chloe as she leaned against the back of Beca's seat and looked out the front window. Beca smiled at her.
"Stacie wanted to live closer to the beach, but Sammie suggested this place. It has more security and with the added attention I get now, it has its perks of privacy."
"I didn't notice much of an issue at the pier, which surprised me," said Jessica from the back as Ashley nodded. Chloe smiled proudly at Beca.
"A few people came up to ask for autographs and pictures and she handled it like a champ," informed Chloe.
"The worst part is the paparazzi, so as long as they aren't there, things don't get too intense. That has to be the bad thing about living in L.A., paparazzi are everywhere. We got lucky today and maybe we will the whole time you are here. I am not a hot commodity since I am pretty boring," said Beca. They pulled into the circular driveway and Stacie opened the three car garage as she parked. Mikey parked behind her and she smiled thankfully at him as she got out.
"Thanks for letting us use the extra Escalade while they are here, but if you wreck my baby, I will kill you," warned Stacie before tossing him the keys to her red BMW. He winked at her.
"I know you will and no problem. It's the label's anyway and now I get to drive a BMW home," he teased as he pressed a button and the BMW in the garage turned on. Emily began to pout as he gave her a hug.
"Goodnight, Em, thanks for letting me hang with you beautiful ladies today."
"When will I get to see you again," she asked and he sweetly kissed her.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" Emily looked at Chloe as she grabbed her luggage from the trunk.
"We are going to be the epitome of tourists tomorrow. You should join us, right, Em," suggested Chloe and Emily happily nodded. He winked at her.
"Text or call me tomorrow when you head out and I will meet you wherever. Thanks for the invite. Goodnight, Bellas," he called and they waved goodbye as he headed for the BMW.
"That man is a ten," said Amy as she and Emily watched him pull out of the garage.
"He is so sweet," said Emily as she sighed dreamily.
"Hop on him before I do, Legacy," teased Amy and Emily nudged her. Beca smiled as she unlocked the door to the house and the Bellas filed in. Flo let out a low whistle and the others looked around in awe as they entered the immaculate house that was more like a mansion.
"Um, yea, so this is our place. There are five bedrooms and five bathrooms so no one should have to worry too much about getting ready in the morning. I guess I will give you a quick tour. The main living room is down that hall, the kitchen is back there, this is the den, Stacie and I share an office, which is down that hallway by the theater. If you want to hang outside, there is an outdoor living room by the pool and my home studio is out there in the smaller building that used to be a big wine cellar on the property. My room is downstairs. Stacie's room is upstairs and there are three other rooms up there as well. We figured you would figure out who you wanted to room with when you got here." Stacie nodded in agreement.
"There are two queen beds in most of the rooms. We added those so everyone should have plenty of space and places to sleep," added Stacie before Emily darted upstairs.
"I call my room," she exclaimed as the other Bellas hurried up the stairs after her.
"I am rooming with Emily," said Cynthia Rose and the rest began staking claims to their roommates and rooms. Chloe and Aubrey stayed downstairs and the awkward tension set in as Chloe and Beca glanced over at Stacie and Aubrey. There was always an unwritten rule between the four of them that Chloe and Beca roomed together and Stacie and Aubrey did, but the tension between the blonde and leggy brunette complicated things. Beca gave Chloe a look and she cleared her throat.
"Come on, Becs, show me what color you ended up choosing for your room," suggested Chloe and Beca quickly nodded. She grabbed Chloe's other bag and got out of dodge as Aubrey looked down and Stacie crossed her arms. Aubrey sighed.
"I can make Chloe switch with me or figure something else out. This house is huge so…"
"Get your ass upstairs, Posen. It has been a long day and I am tired. There is only one bed, so you will just have to deal, unless of course you would like to end up in a room with Amy or Lilly." Aubrey shook her head and quickly grabbed her luggage.
"Coming, coming," said Aubrey as she followed her upstairs.
Chloe smiled when she entered Beca's bedroom. It looked like she imagined it would with deep purple accents mixed in with black, white, and grays. The accent wall had a purple background with musical notes and sheet music scrolled elegantly in the corners. Chloe read it as Beca placed her luggage in the closet. She began to feel nervous with Chloe in her room, which felt silly considering they had shared one so often in their relationship.
"It's the sheet music from…"
"Titanium, I can't believe you chose it for the design." Beca blushed.
"It just sort of happened. The designer is a friend of Sammy's and he likes to capture the essence of people in the design for their bedrooms. He asked me to list a few things that I like and that I think remind me of good times. This is what he came up with," explained Beca as Chloe continued to look around. There were a few guitars hung up in the room, along with framed awards, including her first platinum record. The desk in the corner held her computer, some of her equipment, and a lamp with headphones drawn on the lampshade. The double doors led outside to the backyard and she noticed the smaller building by the pool Beca alluded to earlier.
"Your studio is out there," she asked and Beca nodded as she stood beside her to look out the windows.
"Yep, it is the best of both worlds, completely soundproof so I don't bother Stace and away from the house so I don't have to worry about her trying to listen in. She still tries sometimes though."
"I am surprised you two can share an office."
"Honestly, she uses it more than me when she does her homework and stuff at home, but it works for us. Our schedules are really different. There are times it is like we are strangers passing in the night. I get home early in the morning sometimes and she is heading to the lab. She gets home and I am heading out to an event. She goes with me when she can though. She says to keep me grounded." Chloe gazed lovingly at her and Beca blushed at the way she was being looked at, as if Chloe absolutely adored her.
"I am so proud of you, Becs. I always knew you would make it, but this is amazing. You did all of this. You earned all of it."
"Because people like you believed in me even when I didn't. I can never thank you enough for that, for always being there for me even when I pushed you away. I was so stupid to push you away," she grumbled as if chastising herself. Chloe cupped her cheek and locked eyes with her, baby blue meeting dark blue in that moment.
"You never really pushed me away. Here I am," reminded Chloe and Beca smiled at her. She instinctively glanced down at Chloe's lips as the red head stepped closer to her. Before they could close the distance, there was a knock on the door causing them to jump apart.
"Come in," called Beca as she ran a hand through her hair.
"Hey, Beca, where is the extra soap? I am pretty sure Amy stole ours," said Emily and Beca shook her head in amusement.
"In the linen closet upstairs, second door on the left."
"Thanks, goodnight," said Emily before closing the door and leaving. Chloe sighed and Beca cleared her throat.
"Uh, plenty of soap in my bathroom, so feel free to take a shower. I need to make a couple of calls before I end the night. I will be back soon and in the office if you need me," said Beca before exiting the room and Chloe placed her face in her hands. She felt the cool metal of her engagement ring press into her cheek and stared at it for a moment. She checked her phone and saw that she had a missed call from Tom and a message.
Hope you got in safely. Have fun. Love you!
The pit of guilt grew in her stomach as she sat on the bed and typed out a reply.
Just got to the house. Fun and busy day. Love you too.
She read the message several times before amending it.
Just got to the house. Fun and busy day. Goodnight!
She sent the message and groaned as the weight of her situation crashed into her. She was engaged and getting married in a year. Her family was so ecstatic when they found out that her mother began planning right away, but Chloe dreaded every moment of it. Deep down the idea of vowing her life and love to Tom felt hollow and she told herself for months, even before he proposed, that it was because she loved Beca for so long that her heart loved her out of habit. She fell in love with Beca and spent years deeply in love with her. That wasn't something that just went away and her heart was simply on autopilot, but being there with her made reality crash down. It wasn't about habits or autopilot at all. As soon as she was with Beca again, they fell back into their same relationship, the same push and pull, the same teasing and glancing. It was as if nothing changed and that is what scared her.
Things with Tom were difficult at times. They didn't always agree about their future. He was more practical and she was a dreamer. He loved stability and having a routine. She loved the excitement of trying new things and challenging herself. Things with Tom were just fine, but they weren't passionate. They weren't romantic and head swimmingly euphoric. She had never even kissed Beca, but being with her made her body buzz and heart flutter. At the same time, it scared her how easily she was willing to throw everything she had with Tom away on a whim. If Emily hadn't stopped them, she would have kissed Beca in that moment, and while she wanted it more than anything, her mind told her to slow down.
She didn't know what Beca wanted. She didn't know if Beca was looking for a relationship or if she even wanted to make things work between them. While Chloe prided herself on being a dreamer, she knew she needed to be more realistic with something as precious as her future. Loving Beca would never be the issue. It was if Beca wanted love, lust, or anything at all. It was if Beca Mitchell, the world traveler who kept people at a distance when things got tough, was willing to fight for them to be together. They lived on opposite sides of the country and not even Chloe was willing to move if Beca wasn't willing to commit. While she loved the woman that captured her heart so easily, she wasn't willing to be the puppy dog that followed her around in hopes of being more. Chloe glanced down at her ring and steadied her resolve. She wasn't ready to close her heart off quite yet from Beca, but she needed more from Beca if they were going to work. She grabbed her luggage from the closet and pulled out her pajamas before heading into the bathroom to shower.
Stacie crawled into bed and turned out the light as Aubrey showered. It had been a long day and she was exhausted physically and emotionally. She didn't expect her first night with Aubrey to end with them in an argument, but she knew they both had a lot to think about. She heard the shower turn off and turned her back to the door as she pretended to be asleep, not wanting to engage with the blonde anymore for the night. The door opened and Stacie felt the other side of the bed dip before she smelled Aubrey's shampoo. The scent, her favorite one in the world, made her bite her lip as she began to rethink and doubt her plan of ignoring the woman that constantly filled her fantasies. Aubrey crawled in bed and sighed before resting back on her pillow. She glanced over at Stacie's back and sighed again.
"I would never think of you as a slut, Stace, and I am sorry I never made an effort to call. Goodnight," she whispered before turning on her side away from Stacie and closing her eyes. Stacie wanted to turn around. She wanted to pull her into her arms and kiss her passionately. She wanted to make love to her all night, but the more she thought about their relationship, the more it scared her. She no longer wanted the amazing sex for a weekend or a few calls here and there. She wanted long-term. She wanted date nights and promises of forever. For the first time in her life, Stacie Conrad wanted a meaningful relationship that was on the path to more and she wasn't sure if that is what Aubrey wanted. She wasn't even sure if Aubrey was capable of that.
Stacie still had another two years in her program and Aubrey was focused on the resort in Georgia. They were in two different places and a part of her was afraid that Aubrey was only apologizing so their vacation could be spent like she originally thought it would, with hot nights of sex, coy smiles, flirting, and then a goodbye kiss at the airport. She thought she wanted that, but she didn't anymore and it scared her when she realized deep down she never did. It was what she told herself to protect her from their reality, to protect her heart. She was surprised when a tear fell onto her pillow and she closed her eyes to stop from crying. Somewhere along the way she didn't just develop feelings for Aubrey. She fell in love with her and seeing her again didn't just resurrect those feelings. It solidified them. She took in a deep breath and willed herself to go to sleep, vowing to figure her emotions out in the morning.