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I take full responsibility for all wordsmithing errors.
Rating will change throughout the story.
Trigger Warnings will be added as needed.
Chapter 2 - Meet & Greet
Quinn's morning hadn't started good, but then it was Monday. First, a loan officer called to tell her that a client had a prior lien on a property he was selling that had to be cleared before the bank would approve the new loan. Another call from a home inspector telling her that the insulation wasn't the correct R-Value for the region; she recommended it be replaced. A third from another realtor who told Quinn that her client wouldn't budge on the asking price for his home, even though his house didn't spec out anywhere near his desired asking price. A fourth from a client who decided that they wanted to have the current homeowner put in a new driveway can they put in a new offer even though both had agreed to a purchase price last night. Then the young couple who decided they didn't want the house and wanted their escrow deposit back. Quinn could deal with that couple, she'd told Rachel, as they were getting ready for bed, she suspected the couple would get cold feet. The only good news had been loan approval for an army veteran. Now she sat at her computer trolling through homes for a couple who had millionaire dreams on an average Lima income. She wanted to call Santana to see if she could take the couple out to the mansion to show the house hoping that might be a good dose of reality. Her phone rang, looking at the screen she smiled.
"Hey, I was just thinking about you." Quinn greeted her caller cheerfully.
"God, I hope it was good," Santana replied
"Actually, your home. I have clients who need a few more zeros added to their income to get what they want in a house."
Santana laughed, "No fucking way. But you can float them down the river; that's an impressive view."
Quinn laughing now replied, "Think it would be easier to pull out my old copy of Ohio Living, to show the house. So why the call?" her curiosity steeped, Santana wanted something.
"Dinner party at your place this Friday. I'll foot the bill for food, drinks, and you play host." She rattled off.
Quinn rolled her eyes at the suggestion "Yeah that means I do all the work and you hand me the cash afterward. So, who are you thinking to invite?"
"The usual plus one." Santana calmly answered as though it were a usual dinner request at Quinn's home.
"And that one would be Lauren or Dani?" Quinn asked guessing that neither was the one.
"Well you can invite Lauren, she is your neighbor. But no, I was thinking the woman from the street party on Friday, Brittany."
"And Dani?" Quinn asked, "Or Elaine?"
"Haven't talked to Elaine since last summer. Dani works evenings I'll deal with her Saturday. Anyway, what she doesn't know won't hurt her. So how about it?"
Quinn closed her eyes. She hadn't been blind Friday she caught Santana eyeing Brittany. Brittany even more obvious barely took her eyes off the Santana. Quinn knew the routine she'd invite someone over that Santana expressed interest in then Santana would determine if the prey were worthy of pursuing. The established permanent members of Lima's women's community were on to Santana's game. But with college students and women moving to Lima to work, they were fresh bait for Santana's game. Sensible Santana found reasons to reject them, usually for some minor faux pas, the wrong lipstick or none, too talkative or too quiet. Truthful Santana would admit to cold feet. The rare few women she followed through with, found it over before it started. Santana was making that decision afterward to continue or not by putting her wedding ring back on, unequivocally telling the gullible women that it was only meant to be a one-time thing. Elaine just happened to measure up to be the longest. Well, Dani had lasted longer, but Quinn had nothing to do with that pairing that was Santana's own doing.
"I'm listening but not hearing anything Quinn." Santana singsonged into the phone.
"Sorry, I'm in the office, its Monday crazy. Why Brittany? Why her?" Quinn felt the sense to protect her new friend.
"Oh God Q don't tell me your thinking about straying from the Hobbit?" Santana replied half joking.
"No. Never. I love Rachel. Just why are you picking out Brittany? Do you need a new conquest to reject?" Quinn knew that question would bring up Santana's wall, but she had to ask.
A long pause followed before she heard Santana "Will you arrange the dinner party or not, Quinn?"
Quinn sighed into the phone true to form this was evading Santana "I'll have to ask Rachel. Glee is rehearsing for nationals, so she's been busy. I'll text you later."
"Let me know. Talk later. Bye" with that Santana ended the call.
Friday Night
With Rachel's ok, Quinn went ahead with the dinner party. Asking the usual group of women or the 'inner circle' as they called themselves, Mercedes, Tina, Kitty, and Marley, plus her neighbor Lauren Zizes and Mercedes good friend from work Unique Adams. Totally out of character, Santana arrived first with a case of wine from her private stock. Followed by Mercedes and Tina who brought a pasta salad, for now, potluck dinner. Kitty and Marley follow them with a store-bought relish tray. Lauren walked in without knocking, a bag of whole-wheat burger buns from the bakery in her hand. Unique, showed up with a bag of organic chips and her home-made salsa and guacamole in a cloth Whole Foods bag. Santana's case of wine quickly emptied as she handed out the bottles instead of cash for the potluck. Lauren chided her that next time she and her man would prefer 20-year-old scotch. Santana rolled her eyes, knowing her man was Noah Puckerman, retorted, "That's a fucking waste of good scotch."
Instead of taking up Rachel's offer of the living room or outside on the deck, everyone instead gathered around the kitchen island in their small kitchen to chat.
Mercedes handed the iPhone back to Santana "She's adorable Santana. So, when do we get to meet her?" leaning over the island resting on her elbows.
Santana smiled as she scrolled through the photos on her phone "Soon."
"Like before she turns 18?" Tina exaggeratedly asked
Santana grinned widely exchanging a knowing look with the Asian woman "OK. Yes! Promise before she's 18" rolling her eyes up to think "months. How does that sound, Tina?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Tina replied, "Considering it's you, I'll take what I can get, Santana." Selecting a baby carrot off the relish tray popping it in her mouth, a crunch following as she bit down.
"Dave's story about her name is that true?" Mercedes asked before crunching down on a piece of celery covered in ranch dip, she'd taken from the relish tray in front of her.
Santana frowned "That was his lame excuse when Karen didn't like Elle's name." she said crossing her arms over her chest, "It did shut her up."
"That was pretty clever of Dave to come up with that explanation." Rachel squeezed in between Mercedes and Tina to put a bowl of tortilla chips on the island. "Why didn't she like the name?"
"Uh too Mexican." Santana hissed resentfully, "It's not just the name either, she's a girl. The pierced ears. She doesn't look like a Karofsky. Having a nanny. It's an endless list," sighing, "She did the same with Zee."
"What?" Tina asked stunned, "You didn't exactly have a choice in her sex and Elleana is a beautiful name."
"Really! That's God's choice, not yours." Mercedes replied her chin now rested in her hand. "I think it's adorable when a baby girl has pierced ears. Anyway, isn't it customary in Hispanic cultures?"
"It is. What's bizarre Karen went all bat shit crazy when we didn't circumcise Zee. But pierced ears are mutilation? Go figure."
"Whoa! TMI Santana." Unique said her hand in front of her facepalm outward "Won't be able to look at that boy without thinking of his lil dinky."
"You'd only think about his dinky because you don't want yours." Kitty jeered.
"Really!" Lauren chuckling as she agreed with the petite blonde woman.
"I've never known Dave to stand up to his parents." Quinn interrupted to place a short stack of paper plates next to the chips. The doorbell rang "That must be Brittany, she mentioned she'd be late. Can you get it, sweets?" Quinn, directing her question to Rachel.
Rachel returned with Brittany, she scanned around the island, "I think you know everyone here Brittany except maybe our neighbor Lauren and another KEI employee Unique."
Lauren raised her hand "We've met Rachel, Dani introduced us." the response caught Rachel off guard. She glanced over to Santana whose body had tensed up the slightest look of alarm on her face.
"That means the best is last." The black woman with a butch haircut and deeper voice smiled offered her hand "Good to meet you, Brittany." Taking the woman's hand to shake it, thinking it was the size of a man's, though much softer. "So where do you work at KEI? I haven't seen you around. Production line?" A quizzical look on Unique's face.
Brittany answered. "BioSystems Engineer I work with Trent Mackinster."
"Oh my god, she's smart and beautiful," Unique answered as she thickly laid on the flattery, yet being truthful to what her eyes saw. "KEI is crawling with bright women who never will reach their potential because they don't believe in themselves. Good for you girl! Engineer. Mmmh."
"Excuse me!" Mercedes changed her stance to stand straighter, hands on her hips, offended at what she heard from her friend. "I'll have you know I have a Masters in Food Science from Auburn."
Kitty eyes narrowing cross her arms over her chest "BS in Food Science Georgia."
Tina humbly added to the conversation "BS in Business UC Riverside." Adding "I have my PMP."
Marley not wanting to be left out "BSN Florida."
"A.A.S in accounting from IVCC" Unique announced proudly.
Quinn added "BS in Economics from Yale, Master in Real Estate from NYU."
Rachel proudly joined in "I graduated from NYADA BA in Theater."
Lauren laughed at the women shouted out "High School Diploma from McKinley."
Brittany looked over at Santana to see if she'd own up to a degree or not. Santana grinned broadly laughing, "OK I'll play Music Business from NYU and Masters in Finance from Columbia. And you Brittany?"
Brittany blushed embarrassed yet proud of her achievements, flicked her hair back off her shoulders saying "Double major in Engineering and Mathematics. I'm a dissertation away from my Ph.D. in Mathematics." Looking around at the faces of the women, Brittany continued, "Uh … I think the point Unique has is that women tend to go into biological sciences, not into technology, engineering or math. Which is true, there are more women in veterinary schools then there are in some engineering master's programs at the same university. When you consider there are fewer vet schools in this country then engineering I think Unique's point is made."
"Give me five." Unique raised her palm toward Brittany, a smug look on her face. Brittany obliged raising her palm to meet the black woman's hand with a thwack.
Rachel looked directly at Brittany "Well … Uh … You know Brittany McKinley is always looking for adult volunteers to help students within the field of technology. I know we have a robotics club that is in desperate need of a sponsor. It would be somewhat like I do with the Glee Club. I'm a fulltime teacher of vocal music, but a sponsor of the Glee Club as is Kurt." She chirped. "I could give you the contact name of the IT instructor at the high school. That is if you're interested."
Replying politely Brittany said, "I'll think about it, Rachel." Her eyes wandered back over to Santana. She thought to herself that the Latina was even more beautiful tonight than when she'd seen her last week. Her hair pulled back into a high pony, gave an unobstructed view of her face. Brittany noting her ears, small yet proportional. She could see gold flecks in eyes that she hadn't been able to last week with the sunglasses she had worn. Santana's sleeveless blue and white form-fitting dress, a small mole on her left shoulder. The short dress paired with stilettos drew attention to toned legs. Her movements had a classic elegance that Brittany found seductive. Yep, Brittany realized at that moment as the chorus to Colbie Caillat's "Fallin for You" sang in her head.
I've been spending all my time
Just thinking about ya
I don't know what to do
I think I'm fallin' for you
I've been waiting all my life
And now I found ya
I don't know what to do
I think I'm fallin' for you
I'm fallin' for you
She felt a flutter in her stomach at the thought. Could she be falling for someone she didn't know? Someone she'd barely exchanged four complete sentences within a conversation. A woman she'd never been alone with, only around a table with friends. What about the eerie persistent feeling of being with her before in different decades, centuries, millenniums? Had they been brought together again to finish some unresolved unrequited love? Did love at first sight really exist? Could she just be crushing? Had those been the reason that her math equations papers had 'Santana' doodled in the margins? Were the silly grins on her face co-workers had noticed during meeting been all because memories of Santana dancing floated through her mind? When they asked, she'd replied "Nothing" her face blushing from embarrassment at being caught daydreaming. Her playlist of love songs on constant repeat? Rom-com selected from Netflix. At night in bed, she imagined what it would be like to have Santana next to her. Were all those signs of falling for someone? Yeah, whatever the reason she was falling.
She heard several women's voices called out her name "Brittany!"
Shaking her head to take her from her rumination she replied "Yes."
"Are you ok?" she heard Marley ask, "You kinda spaced out for a minute."
"No, I'm fine. It's nothing." Waving her hand, "Really, I'm fine."
"Quinn wants to know if you want wine," Tina said pointing at the glass in front of Brittany.
"Yes please," she replied.
"My cousin says fine is nothing more than an acronym for "Fucked up Insecure Neurotic and Emotional." Unique chuckled with a wide grin on her face.
"Is that the cousin who was an inmate at FCI Greenville?" Kitty asked
"Orange is the new black, baby girl." Unique snickered "Though she didn't have nearly as much dramedy as those inmates."
Realizing this was an excellent time to ask a question "How about you, Santana? Where do you work?" Brittany moving her full wine glass closer noticed that the noise in the kitchen had gone from laughter to a dead silence with her question.
"Uh … I don't … not full time … um … more community service work."
"You did say you have a Masters in Finance, I did some work in quantitative algorithms when I was at MIT" Brittany hoping that bit of information from her past would be a conversation started at some point in the evening with the gorgeous dark-haired woman.
"MIT? Impressive." Santana was finally getting a good look at the blonde-haired woman's face, mesmerized by the bluest cat-like eyes she'd ever seen "So, uhm … you ended up in Lima to work in an ice cream plant? With your qualifications, I'd think you could have gone elsewhere."
Brittany smiled, not able to take her eyes off the Latina, "Ice cream factory sounded better than the chicken factory." grinning as she answered.
Santana rolled her eyes as she laughed "Definitely better." Brittany felt her insides melt.
"Wait six months after that even the mention of ice cream will make you gag." A note of mockery in Kitty's voice
"Or you try to explain to your family why you don't bring samples home when you visit them in Texas" Mercedes laughed "No seriously it's really a good place to work. I'd imagine much better than a chicken factory."
"Lauren, are you ready to be our grill master?" Rachel asked now that everyone had arrived, she wanted to move on to the next phase of her party plan.
"The real reason why you invite me to your little parties … fear of lighting the grill."
"That's so not true Lauren, why I successfully got it started on Tuesday night. Didn't I Quinn?" Rachel defending her real fear of lighting the grill since the starter had quit working two years ago and she'd about lit her hair on fire the first time she used a lighter having turned the tank to wide open. The sound of 'poof' as the fire ignited the gas, the flames shooting above the open grill lid. Her screaming. Quinn rushing out of the house, Lauren along with Puck rushing over from her home.
"After screaming and swearing at it for ten minutes, you did sweets."
"Why don't you just buy a new one, if it's that hard to start?" Santana asked
"Unlike you, Santana our pockets tend to be shallow and usually empty. Plus, it's on next year's replacement plan, we're just going to make the best of it for another year." Rachel confidently explained
"And pray I don't move" Lauren chortled as she took the plate of burgers from Quinn, she headed toward the sliding door that led to the deck. Shouting back at Rachel "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah." Who for the umpteenth time, reminded her of the designated placement of the veggie burger on the grill, so as not to be contaminated by the animal protein.
"What kind of community service work, Santana?" Brittany asked moving closer to her, taking in the sudden whiff of Chanel as she did so. The Latina seemed caught off guard by the question.
"Really what kind of work do you do? I've never really understood your involvement in community service work." Kitty asked disdain in her voice "That is … if you do work. I mean sending out reminder emails to the employees doesn't take much work."
Santana eyed the shorter blonde-haired woman with contempt, the other women reacting to the question with uneasiness, "I worked on the United Way Campaign, I'm helping with the breast cancer run later this summer, the company's holiday parties, fall coat collections, winter food drive." She shrugged her shoulders "behind the scenes too. Company sponsors, corporate donations."
"Oh! wait you're responsible for Paul Karofsky's gift giving to the most conservative representative in Congress, Sue Sylvester?" Kitty asked.
"No, those are private donations from Paul's pocket. Kinda like when you donate to HRC? You do donate don't you, Kitty?"
Kitty realized the challenge and that she was walking a thin line not only with Santana but with her hosts too replied, "Really, I've always wondered about Paul's donations. Thanks for clarifying it for me."
"So, you do work for Karofsky Enterprises?" Brittany asked
"Yeah I do, part-time," Santana said, taking a drink from her glass of wine, Brittany noticed the ring on Santana's left ring finger. It wasn't just a ring; instead, it was one of those pretentious rings, what people refer to as 'rocks,' which said 'I made a commitment to someone' and technically she knew 'rock' was incorrect since diamonds were a crystalline carbon mineral found in rocks, usually kimberlite. Immediately, Brittany felt deflated at the sight of it. She understood now what Dave meant as 'my better half.' Santana was his wife, Mrs. Dave Karofsky. Blaine's comments to her from the previous Friday coming back "united pair.", "they protect each other." "Be careful." Brittany realized that her falling was nothing more than dreaming, a childish crush, maybe she was fangirling on a woman who wasn't or never would be within her grasp. If a heart could break, hers did at that moment.
"How about you Brittany, other than MIT, what's your background?" Marley asked wanting to rescue her girlfriend and redirect, the conversation back to the newest member of the inner circle.
Brittany pulled from her disappointment, she quickly recalled her one-minute elevator speech, "Uh … undergrad from MSU in Lansing and graduate work at MIT".
Unique very aware of the college rivalry between Big Ten schools "Ewww at least you didn't say Michigan, Santana would have had to escort you right out the door you came in. Our girl here goes to all the OSU home football games, VIP parking, private stadium entrances, climate-controlled suites. She goes in style. Course she has to sit with the more common folks at away games."
A huge grin crossed Brittany's face looking at the Latina "You still might Santana, I grew up in Ann Arbor. My Dad is a professor of Computer Science at Michigan." she paused, when she realized Santana wasn't shoving her out the door she continued, "After MIT I took a few years off to dance professionally…"
Rachel who'd returned from the grill standing at the counter helping Quinn, chopping up lettuce for the burgers turned around, holding her knife down, "Wait! What? You've never mentioned you'd danced professional, to us Brittany."
"No, I remember it on her resume when I sat in on her interview, except I thought it was more a dance teacher" Mercedes replied defensively, "In fact, I think that's what you said when Mike asked you."
"Tell me its ballet. I love ballet. Jake Puckerman studied ballet, you can tell by the way he moves too." Marley elated at the thought of knowing another ballet dancer asked.
"No not ballet, I went to New York, and LA mostly worked in music videos and went on tour."
Disgruntled that Brittany had kept such information from her yet eager to know who the tall woman had danced with professionally Rachel calmly asked her "Anyone we'd know?" That you worked with I mean? I'm always interested in bringing professional artists into my classroom exposing my students to the various performing art careers available to them should they choose to follow one."
Reaching around to grab her long hair at the nape of her neck to pulling it around to hang over her shoulder Brittany hesitated than quietly answered Rachel's question "um … yeah, you might … Beyonce."
"Girl, did you just say Beyonce?" Mercedes stunned at hearing the name of one of her idols.
Brittany nodded yes "On her North American and European tours, then I hurt my knee, and that ended my professional dancing career." She shrugged her shoulders wanting to dismiss her previous life that involved working with a superstar.
"Does that mean Brittany you could arrange to have Beyonce come visit Rachel's class?" Kitty smiled as she asked her tone more teasing than mocking.
"Well, I do still have her cell number in my contact list. I suppose I could give Rachel her number." Brittany responded straight-faced as she picked up her phone to retrieve her contact list.
Mercedes gasped "Oh sweet Jesus, help me Lord, I'm about to have a heart attack!" She placed both hands across her heart. Tina quickly moved her hand to rub her girlfriends back to comfort her.
Brittany felt a sensation run up her arm, not electric, or rough, but warm, an at ease tingle that moved through her as Santana touched her arm. "She's teasing, Brittany." Santana's eyes met hers as they glanced at each other. "We believe you have Beyonce's number; you don't have to show us." Then a smile, her eyes lightening up with a hint of flirtatiousness, Brittany put her phone back down, winking along with her flirtatious smile. 'God help me get through this evening without melting' Brittany thought to herself.
After dinner, the group of women had moved onto the deck, to enjoy the evening, drink wine, enjoy each other's company. As Mercedes finished telling a joke she'd heard at the office, Santana's phone started to play the Indigo Girls "Power of Two" flipping it over on the table to check the caller ID, she excused herself going into the house.
Brittany tuned out the drone of Rachel's story about the upcoming show choir nationals, as she wondered what took Santana from the party. When she returned, she seemed agitated, whispering to Quinn who left with the Latina.
A few minutes passed before Quinn came back onto the deck, "Brittany is that your Toyota at the end of the drive? Santana needs to leave, and Toyota is blocking her car." She moved over to Rachel leaning down to whisper in her ear Rachel mouthing 'OK.'
"You know Tina I think that's our cue to leave" Mercedes patting the thigh of her Asian girlfriend.
"Yeah, we should be going to Kitty. My shift tomorrow morning starts at six" Marley said before yawning, followed by "excuse me."
"Me too this woman needs her beauty rest." Unique agreed with the group.
"What a bunch of party poopers!" Lauren protested as the women got up to take their leave "I'll call Puckerman, see if he's still sober enough to come over. Maybe he'll get lucky tonight," chuckling at her joke.
As they all headed inside to reclaim their belongings, Rachel pulled Brittany into the kitchen, handing her a bottle of wine from the case that sat on the floor. Brittany confused, as she looked at the bottle Rachel offered, "Santana asked that I give it to you."
"Don't question it. Just take it." Lauren who had entered the kitchen to take the shorter route to her home through the side door nudged Brittany from behind, "Satan's got an entire wine cellar at her house, believe me, she won't miss it."
"Satan?" Brittany asked the large woman behind her.
Lauren snorted putting her arm around the shoulders of the taller woman "Nickname, we tried calling her Santa, but it never stuck."
Brittany made her way out to her car, wine bottle in hand. After starting her car, she turned on the headlights, illuminating the back of Santana's car, on the trunk was the pouncing cat logo beneath it the word Jaguar, she noticed the license plate immediately. Brittany recognized the Karofsky Enterprise logo on the Ohio specialized plate. She watched as Quinn got into the passenger side of Santana's car. As Brittany backed out of the driveway onto the street, trying to recall what Trent had told her months ago about the spelling on KEI car plates. Instead, what came to mind was what a nice buzz she had going on from the wine she'd drank and that gorgeous smile she'd miss.
