Santana opened her front door quietly. She didn't want to accidentally wake either roommate that may have had an ear open to see when she got home. She instinctively looked to the pile of shoes by the door, noticing only Kurt and Blaine's. She smiled thinking that Quinn had not come home or at least she was in too much of a rush to take her shoes off. If Quinn was hooking up with Rachel after one night, Santana thought maybe there was something to that little diva dwarf she met briefly the night before. She would have to question her friend about that.
Like many mornings after, Santana made her way to her room. She unbuttoned her top and slipped on a t shirt that she took from her dresser drawer. She was about to slip out of her pants when she heard the front door opening. She ran to her bedroom door quietly and peeked out to see Quinn walking in. She snuck into and through the hallway to follow Quinn to the living room. Though she already had an idea, she wanted to get some details from Quinn as to why she was walking in so late if only to watch Quinn squirm in discomfort.
Quinn was standing by their large living room windows when Santana came up behind her. She was staring out across the East river toward Brooklyn, lost in thought.
"You're home late," Santana said, startling Quinn out of her daydream.
Quinn snapped around on her heel. "So are you by the looks of it," she said eying Santana from head to toe. She noticed something different about what Santana was wearing.
Quinn was used to Santana's various states of undress. She could actually differentiate what Santana had been up to the night before based on what she was wearing that morning. There was of course her usual sleepwear, a tank and panties; her morning after 'I need a shower' attire - a random dirty shirt and boxers; and for the seldom time Santana brought someone home, she would be nude. Not that Santana made an effort to walk around the house naked, she just didn't feel especially self-conscience around her friends. She had slept with Quinn on a few occasions, mostly out of loneliness on both their parts, and Kurt didn't pay much attention to a naked woman walking around the apartment. He was a gay man living with two lesbians after all and he understood (whether he liked it or not) that an occasional boob flash came with the territory.
"I'm home early," Santana said flatly, not wanting to really answer to Quinn's questioning tone. She knew by Quinn's retort that she would be subject to answering about her actions the night before and Santana wasn't really too sure what had happened last night. She knew what had happened, but wasn't too sure what it all meant. She didn't think she could explain to Quinn that she hadn't slept with Brittany without explaining why and she wasn't exactly sure of the reason.
Santana walked passed Quinn toward the kitchen. Quinn followed knowing Santana was going to make a pot of coffee.
"So Rachel then?" Santana asked as she filled a pot with water. She didn't need to ask anymore than that before Quinn answered her.
"Rachel is something," Quinn said smiling broadly. She handed a scowling Santana a can of Puerto Rican coffee. Though they had a coffee maker, Santana liked to make coffee the way her abuela did, boiling it on the stove. It took a little effort to make, having to strain the boiled brew, but they all loved coffee that way - dark and strong.
"She's really funny and has a gorgeous voice," the blonde continued. "You would have seen that last night if you had stuck around." Though she was used to Santana finding a reason to leave any occasion, usually in the form of a cute girl, Quinn sounded disappointed that she hadn't stayed long enough to get to know Rachel any better.
Santana turned around from the stove to look her friend in the eye. "Sorry, I didn't think you wanted me hanging around while you got to know each other. Besides, I met..."
"Is that coffee? You are the best Santana," Blaine said walking into the kitchen, cutting Santana off mid-sentence. He made himself a cup as the brew started to boil, ignoring the grinds of coffee floating in his cup.
"What did I miss?" Kurt asked as he entered the narrow kitchen. Blaine handed him his cup of coffee with a smile. Kurt was about to take a drink when he noticed that it had not been strained. He shot Blaine a worried yet loving smile. He knew Santana wouldn't let him or Quinn drink their coffee like that but she seemed to have a certain dislike of Blaine that he couldn't quite figure out.
"It seems Santana was just about to fill us in on her hookup with Brittany last night," Blaine said with a knowing smile.
Santana remembered that Brittany said she worked with Rachel on her show and that she also knew Blaine from the production. Still, she was a little surprised that he had seen her leaving with Brittany.
"Oh, the assistant choreographer on Rachel's show?" Kurt asked his beaming boyfriend. "Hot one there Santana."
Quinn was standing by the sink and watched as Santana strained the coffee into a carafe. She sensed that Santana was uncomfortable with the boys knowing too much about whom she had left the party with. She looked between both guys, wanting to hear from them what she knew Santana wasn't going to share. Santana didn't share details of her sexual exploits easily, usually Quinn overheard an awkward phone call weeks later or she actually saw Santana leaving with her night's company. Last night Quinn had witnessed neither, so she was curious about some details.
Before the either Blaine or Kurt could continue on their opinion of Brittany, Santana had poured herself a cup of coffee and left the kitchen quietly, her head hanging slightly down. She didn't want to have a conversation about Brittany with Blaine in the room. Even if he did know her the longest, his opinion of her was not what she wanted to hear that morning.
The threesome stood in the kitchen confused, wondering what they had said to make Santana walk off.
"Why is she acting so weird? She sick or something?" Blaine asked Kurt, who in turn looked at Quinn. She shrugged an 'I don't know' and walked after Santana with her own coffee in hand.
Quinn walked down the hallway and stopped in front of Santana's door. She knocked and didn't wait for an answer before entering Santana's room. She saw Santana on her phone but before she could hear any of the conversation, Santana had hung up. She really thought Santana was acting weird.
"Everything ok?" Quinn asked as Santana threw her phone on the bed.
"Yeah, everything's fine," Santana said drinking the last of her hot black coffee.
"Well, you are not acting fine," Quinn said. "Something happen last night? Did you get walked in on by a jealous boyfriend or girlfriend again? Cause I warned you about hooking up with attached girls. You really need to be more care..."
"I said I'm fine," Santana cut Quinn off. She was collecting some clean clothes to take to the bathroom. She wanted to take a shower. She looked up and noticed that Quinn was blocking the door.
"I just want to take a shower," Santana said, subtly asking Quinn to move with the tone of her voice.
"Did Brittany, Brittany is her name right?" Quinn was as bad as Santana when it came to keeping track of the names of Santana's one night stands. Santana nodded in affirmation. Quinn was skeptical as to why Santana easily remembered this girl's name but kept up her line of questioning. "Did Brittany do something to you last night? She try some weird kink like that last girl? Seriously Santana with the amount of women you sleep with, one would think you'd be a little more open to S&M..."
"We didn't sleep together," Santana said finally, shutting Quinn up. She wasn't looking at the girl blocking her escape, she didn't want to try to explain something she didn't really understand herself; she was attracted to Brittany but trying to sleep with her didn't feel like the right thing to do that night. Santana looked at Quinn hoping that this revelation would make her move. Now she wondering if she should just push past her.
"Wait, I am confused," Quinn said standing her ground. She wasn't letting Santana out of the room until she gave her some details. "She's not some dominatrix from Chelsea or a closet case wanting to be turned out for the night?" Quinn really was confused.
"Knock knock," Kurt said, slipping in the half open door.
Santana looked up at him and rolled her eyes. Though she was half annoyed at another nosy intruder, she was thankful Quinn was no longer reading her a riot act. Now she thought, she would have to explain the unexplainable to another busybody.
"Tell us what's going on sweetie," Kurt said, grabbing Santana's wrist and leading her to sit on the bed. "You're acting like a deer in the headlights this morning and it's freaking us all out. Did you have to fight another angry boyfriend again last night?"
"Apparently, they didn't sleep together," Quinn said, still in disbelief.
Kurt made an audible gasp, bringing the hand he had on Santana's wrist to his mouth to try to cover the sound.
"Was there someone else you hooked up with at the party? Maybe Blaine didn't see who you left with last night," he was asking himself the question more than he was directing it at Santana.
"I spent the night with Brittany, I just didn't sleep with her," Santana finally found the courage to say what had happened last night. She was just as shocked as her friends that she didn't make a move on Brittany.
Kurt began to smile as he looked from Quinn to Santana. "Looks like cupid was working overtime last night."
Santana scoffed and got up again, trying to make yet another escape. Kurt's hand found her wrist before she could take a step.
"Listen, you took off last night and we assumed you hooked up. If you two didn't sleep together then what happened?" Kurt was trying to put Santana at ease while trying to work out the events of the previous night.
"I was feeling a little sick when I walked over to get a beer. Brittany was there and offered to help me outside to get some air. She walked with me and we wound up at the promenade. We just talked the whole night," Santana spoke to try and make them feel a little more at ease, herself included. "Before we knew it the sun was coming up and I was walking her home."
Kurt was a hopeless romantic and was giddy with excitement. He thought that maybe his bachelorette friends may really have found their counterparts last night.
"If Santana Lopez didn't try sleeping with Brittany, who is not ugly by the way," he said looking at Quinn, "then it's gotta be love at first sight."
Santana broke free of Kurt's grasp and walked past a still shocked Quinn. "Whatever," she said as she exited the room.
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Santana took a long, hot shower. Not because she felt the need to wash the previous night off of her, but because she needed to think. It bothered her that she had made no move on Brittany other than to kiss her and even the kiss was left up to Brittany. She definitely had feelings for the woman she had spent the night getting to know, she just need to figure out what they were.
She got out of the shower and made it to her bedroom without running into anyone. She could hear them in the living room but could only make out Blaine's voice. She thought he was talking to Kurt but realized he must have been on the phone. She closed her door and laid down, falling asleep before she could ask herself why he was telling someone, "Yeah she works tonight... the bar is right off of Hudson street."
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When Brittany walked into the crowded bar she noticed Santana right away. She barely looked at the tacky decorations adorning the small bar. All the tiki lights and blow up flamingos every where usually would have made her laugh, but she had a single thing on her mind and that was Santana.
Brittany was dressed comfortably but had heels on and used her added height to easily see over the crowd. Santana was behind the bar at the far end, tending to a group of drunken admirers.
Brittany walked up to the bar at the opposite end of where Santana was stationed. It was the only free space in the bar area. Everyone it seemed wanted to be close to where Santana was working and she wished she could have found space there as well. Brittany sat down on a now empty bar stool and didn't much notice when another bartender asked her what she wanted. She was pulled out of her thoughts when asked again by the now impatient bartender.
"Hey honey, what can I get you? Order something or sit away from the bar," the bartender wasn't being rude, she was just being curt.
"Oh," Brittany said embarrassingly, "whatever is on tap." She barely took her eyes off the mesmerizing brunette.
"Ok," said the short bartender as she walked off. She began filling a pint glass full with a pale brew.
Brittany wasn't exactly sure why she had decided to show up at Santana's job. She was thinking that she was bordering on stalking, showing up here without an invite from Santana. But Blaine had reassured her that she should during their short phone call that morning. Watching Santana behind the bar, she was glad she had to decided to come. The woman was both intriguing to her and quite beautiful and she would find any reason to see her again.
She was brought out of her thoughts again when the bartender put her beer in front of her.
"Here you go honey, my names Mercedes and the one your staring at like a hungry puppy," she said pointing toward Santana, "is Satan, I mean Santana."
Brittany was barely able to see the smirk on Mercedes' face and wondered why she was calling Santana Satan. She thought to ask the bartender but she was called away by another patron before she could.
As Mercedes walked over to tend to an impatient drunk, Santana turned to grab a bottle of gin from a shelf behind the bar. She was in a zone, making drinks and chatting her tips up, but took a double take when she noticed the blonde sitting at the other end of the bar.
The smile Santana was wearing was put on for the customers benefit until the second she noticed Brittany. It was then that her smile broadened and became genuine. This woman had a instant and decidedly good effect on Santana.
Santana replaced the bottle and said something to Mercedes. Mercedes nodded and grabbed the same bottle, pouring four drinks. Santana walked over to the enamored looking Brittany.
"Hey you," Santana said not letting any part of her smile drop.
"Hey," Brittany replied, now looking even more like a school girl with a crush.
"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, I just thought we agreed on dinner tomorrow," Santana asked, remembering the phone conversation she had with Brittany that morning.
Brittany felt a little embarrassed. She was unsure that she should have listened to Blaine's suggestion so quickly. Maybe she was coming on a little strong, she thought. She should have waited until the date they had set up.
"Just thought I'd come in for a drink," Brittany said hesitantly. "I talked to Blaine this morning and he said you worked here. I have walked past this place a few times and thought I'd check it out."
"Blaine told you I worked here?" Santana was confused, "Why would he mention that?"
"He called me this morning to ask about how our date went last night. Apparently he saw us leave together and assumed we had some sort of date," Brittany was even more unsure that she should have shown up without an invite. She wasn't ready to admit to Santana that she had jumped at an opportunity to see her again.
Santana laughed. "Sorry about that, I didn't realize that you knew Blaine until this morning. He's been my roommate's partner for about a year now and they get all in my business when they see I like someone."
Brittany couldn't help but smile. She knew there was something between her and Santana but to hear Santana acknowledge it out loud made her beam with happiness. Santana noticed Brittany's smile and was just about to lean over the bar and kiss her when a tall blonde walked up behind her and hip bumped her.
"Hey Hotstuff, almost ready?" the blonde said slipping her hand around Santana's waist. She looked at Brittany and winked a hello at her.
"Yeah Holly, just give me a minute," Santana sounded a little nervous but didn't waiver in what she was saying. "I was just saying hello to Brittany," she said looking from her blonde boss to the blonde sitting at the bar, "but I'll be over in a flash."
Holly took a curious glance at the brunette before smiling at Brittany. "Hi there, I'm Holly. You are about to see our girl Santana here do her thing. She keeps this bar busy whenever she's working."
Wanting to give Santana an unusual moment of privacy with Brittany, Holly let go of Santana's waist and was about to walk off. Just then, another bartender Brittany had not noticed, stopped Holly in her tracks. "The sound is all queued up and ready Holly."
"Thanks Sugar," Holly said walking off with the short woman. She looked back at Santana, "Don't keep your crowd waiting too long doll."
Santana's olive skin reddened slightly, "Be right there." She was feeling embarrassed because Brittany looked confused and obviously wanted to know what was about to happen. She had mentioned to Brittany the night before that she was a bartender, but omitted that her and her coworkers often sang at work, Coyote Ugly style. She was a little embarrassed admitting this to Brittany, thinking she might laugh at her.
"On Saturday nights, we usually sing a couple of songs to get the crowd riled up. Good for business," Santana admitted hesitantly. She smiled coyly at Brittany, "since you showed up tonight, you get to hear me sing. Hope it doesn't make you run off."
"Really?" Brittany said, confusion still hanging in her words. "You guys sing in here? Like get up on the bar and strip kinda singing?" Thoughts of Coyote Ugly were running through her head.
"No, no. There's a little stage set up over there," Santana said pointing to a small karaoke stage. It was set up opposite where she was first working when Brittany walked in. Brittany hadn't noticed it through the crowd.
"The women that come in here would probably love to see us stripping but it's not that kinda bar." Santana was even more sure now that Brittany would run off either mortified or hysterically laughing at her and she was scared at either possibility.
"I can't wait to see this!" Brittany's excitement shot a small wave of anxiety through Santana. She was happy Brittany wanted to stay to see her sing, but wasn't to sure how she would react to it.
"I hope you enjoy it," Santana said to Brittany. She gently took Brittany's hand over the bar and ran her thumb over Brittany's soft skin, "I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Ok," Brittany said squeezing Santana's hand. She held the brunette's gaze for a moment and watched her as she walked off to talk with Mercedes and Sugar.
Santana took a cordless microphone from Sugar and walked off around the bar, looking to Brittany with a hesitant smile. She made her way to Brittany through the crowded bar and took her hand.
"Come on, you'll have a better view from behind the bar." She led her back through the crowd and to the small door that closed the bar off to patrons. She lifted the door and guided Brittany to her coworkers.
"This is Mercedes and Sugar," Santana said smiling to her coworkers. "They're gonna keep you safe while I gets my sing on," the joking tone in Santana's voice made Brittany more comfortable with being behind the bar. "Guys, this is Brittany, take care of her for me."
Mercedes was the first to answer Santana. "No worries, me and Brittany already met," she smiled at Brittany, "I'll make sure she's safe from your groupies."
Santana squeezed Brittany's hand before letting it go. She walked back around the bar to the stage area.
"Girl, you are gonna love this," Mercedes said to Brittany, motioning for her to stand next to her at the back of the bar. "We all have our turns singing in here, but these ladies go crazy for Santana. It's like they're gonna throw their bras at her or something."
Brittany stood next to Mercedes, speechless and not really knowing what to expect. She looked at Sugar who finally acknowledged her with a small "Hey," and smiled back a small "Hi." She watched as Sugar did something to a small soundboard. Brittany thought she was a little weird but didn't feel uncomfortable around her.
"So, what is she singing?" Brittany turned to Mercedes and asked over a roar of excited noise from the crowd as Santana walked onto the small stage.
"Crimson and Clover," Mercedes answered. "Holly's got a thing for us singing classic rock and the customers seem to love it. We sneak in other stuff too, but Saturday is definitely a classic rock night."
Ahhh,
Santana's voice began singing over the bar's speaker system.
Now I don't hardly know her
She looked toward the bar and met Brittany's eyes through the crowded and now rowdy sea of drunk lesbians.
But I think I could love her
She held Brittany's gaze as a tentative smiled crossed her face.
Crimson and clover
She continued singing into the mic, letting the song take her over.
Ah, now when she comes walking over
The crowd was getting even louder with drunken excitement.
Now I been waiting to show her
A loud "WOOO," came in clear over the loud music and excited crowd.
Crimson and clover
over and over
Santana started doing a small dance that made Brittany laugh. She thought she saw something like it in an old eighties hair band video.
Yeah, I'm not such a sweet thing
I wanna do ev-ery-thing
"To me?" someone shouted.
What a beautiful feeling
Brittany was, for a moment, pretty sure someone was going to take the stage and jump on Santana like a crazy groupie.
Crimson and Clover over and over
Santana was now playing an air guitar, fully in eighties rocker chick mode.
Crimson and Clover over and over
Crimson and Clover over and over
Crimson and Clover over and over
Crimson and Clover over and over
The song finished with Santana's hand in the air, throwing up a peace sign. Bar patrons were shouting "I love you's" to her as she left the stage. She made a short jog through the crowd to the bar and successfully avoided any touchy-feely drunks. It had happened more than once that Santana couldn't get back to the bar without being grabbed and kissed sloppily by a random girl. She didn't want that to happen tonight. She ducked under the bar door, smiling and slightly sweaty. "So, whatcha think?" she asked Brittany breathlessly.
"I loved it," Brittany said. She had been standing next to Mercedes, jumping in place with just as much excitement as the rest of the bar. "You totally rocked that song," she said sounding like a groupie herself.
Santana walked over to her and took Brittany's hand again.
"Glad you liked it," she said and winced a little as someone shouted her name from the crowded bar.
Mercedes and Sugar stepped away from the back of the bar to take drink orders.
"Now the fun begins, everyone's excited and want to get a piece of this," Santana said jokingly as her free hand ran down her body. "Since you are behind the bar you can help with getting some beers out," she winked at Brittany, resuming her bartender duties.
Brittany still in groupie mode, looked at Santana unsure.
"I don't think that's a good idea, I never tended bar before and these girls seem a little crazy," she said looking away from Santana to the rest of the bar. One patron seemed to be about to loose her shirt before Holly walked over to her and talked her into putting it back over her head.
"C'mon, stand near me and help with the beers. I'll take any other drink orders," Brittany was unable to resist Santana's request.
Brittany followed the brunette as she took a few drink orders. Santana was able to make about few drinks while she showed Brittany where the glasses and the bottled beers were. Brittany was a quick learner and even began taking a few orders herself. She passed the money to Santana or Mercedes who rang up the order in the till. Santana watched her as drunken women flirted with her and smiled at how effortlessly Brittany was able to take on becoming an impromptu bartender.
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It was about another two hours before the bar began to die down. Brittany was tired, not expecting to be working, and leaned against the back of the bar.
"You can go sit if you want," Santana said looking at the clock on her cell phone. It was around 3:30. "We should be locking up in a little while."
Santana looked as tired as Brittany felt but kept at clearing empty glasses from the bar. Brittany walked over to her and took a dirty glass from her hand.
"No, it's ok. I still got work to do," Brittany said as she washed the glass in the sink behind the bar.
Santana moved closer to Brittany, handing her a few more glasses. She helped her by drying the glasses she was washing. Though it was Santana's job, something about washing up next to Brittany felt right to her. Brittany felt right she thought.
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Holly locked up the bar just after four a.m. The bartenders, Brittany included, sat at a clean table splitting up the night's tips.
"Girl you better take that money," Mercedes said to Brittany from across the table, when she refused a portion of the night's take.
"I don't work here, you guys earned this, I was just helping out," Brittany tried to explain her reluctance to accept any compensation for helping bartend that night.
Mercedes let out a sharp breath, but kept at it, "You should take it, you worked your little ass off tonight."
"I agree with Mercedes, you took to bartending like a natural, you earned it," Sugar said, saying the most to Brittany that she had the whole night. Brittany looked at her and then to Mercedes, she didn't want to take the tips that she thought belong to them.
Santana, who was sitting next to Brittany at the small table put her arm on the back of her chair and leaned close to her, "you more than earned your wages tonight." Brittany turned to face Santana, they were close and she could smell a faint odor of beer on Santana's breath. They were close enough that she should kiss her, Brittany thought as she watched Santana's lips move. She instinctively licked her own lips.
"Alright chicas, get the hell out of my bar," Holly said as she walked to the table. She could tell she just spoiled a moment between Santana and Brittany.
"Brittany, take those tips, the girls think you earned them and so do I," she pointed to Brittany, who grabbed the stack of small bills. "Now get your butts up and get home safely."
The foursome got up from the table, collecting their money and their belongings and walked to the door. Holly let them out and waved as she closed the door back up.
In the cool air of the early spring morning Brittany shivered slightly. Santana noticed and put her jacket over the taller girls shoulders. Before Brittany could protest, Santana took her hand and smiled at her. Brittany realized that as long as she was cold, Santana wasn't taking her jacket back.
"Argh, wanna catch a cab?" Sugar said to Mercedes, "I hate the train at this hour." She was shifting around irritably, the cold obviously bothering her.
Geeze, ok," Mercedes said, rolling her eyes. "But I'm getting dropped off first."
Sugar clapped her hands in stifled triumph and did a little jump. The rest of the girls laughed at Sugar's excitement.
"See you guys later," Mercedes said to Santana and Brittany. Sugar linked their arms together and waved her goodbyes. Santana and Brittany waved back as her and Mercedes walked toward Hudson street.
"I like them," Brittany said as she watch the duo walk away.
She turned to Santana, who had been watching her, and smiled. She leaned into her and kissed her softly on the lips.
"I've been waiting all night to do that," Brittany said.
She was about to say something else when Santana's hand wrapped around the back of her neck and pulledher into a deep, passionate kiss.