FLIRTING WITH SATAN
In case you're not familiar with the format of my writing, please take note of what the following mean for future reference:
X ~~~~~~~~~~~ X change in scene; some time has passed
X ~~~ X a shift in POV (still within the scene)
Warning: very short chapter (not even half as long as my usual length), and it's quite Addison-centric
Don't own anything … except for the mistakes.
I'm from the Philippines, so I'm unfamiliar with the US' culture, practices (particularly dating), what is acceptable/unacceptable, cost of living, value & norms, etc.; I have to rely on whatever knowledge I've garnered through media. In this chapter (and succeeding chapters), this disclaimer specifically applies to everything pertaining to the lesbian bar, lesbianism in general, and the 'date' itself. Please pardon any inconsistencies (if this isn't what happens in reality).
Chapter Two
"You took us to a lesbian bar?"
"This happens to be a classy upscale club, where we can drink and dance," Callie corrected matter-of-factly, emitting a nervous chuckle as she took in the obvious incredulity on the redhead's face.
Chuckle.
Disarming grin. At least that was the intent.
She watched as the neonatal surgeon's gaze swept over the establishment, with its modern but comfortable décor and subdued lighting, and its patrons - thankfully! - appropriately dressed and behaved. Apprehensive about having made the visiting doctor uncomfortable, especially since she was the one who suggested the place, she was also glad that they were seated at a relatively quiet corner booth.
Nervous chuckle.
"For women," Addison pointed out with an accusing tone, trying to prevent her lips from twitching in amusement at her friend's apparent discomfiture. To bolster the impression of annoyance, she arched an eyebrow.
"Er, yes," the orthopedic surgeon admitted uneasily.
"So … a lesbian bar," the redhead stated pointedly.
"A classy upscale club for women," Callie supplied in a high-pitched voice, sheepishly.
"Uh-huh," Addison responded skeptically, maintaining the appearance of displeasure.
Which was rather difficult to do when she felt the woman seated beside her lean forward and press against her body.
"Are you really upset," Teddy whispered the question into her ear, enjoyment over the exchange evident in her tone.
"No, not at all," the neonatal surgeon answered tight-lipped, not wanting the couple seated across them to understand what she was saying. "I just want to see Callie squirm. Payback for them being late to dinner."
Her lips curled into a smirk upon hearing the blonde's low chortle, allowing herself to take pleasure in the intimacy of their shared mirth.
She then laughed unrestrainedly when she noticed that Arizona and Callie were watching them warily, the latter's eyebrow raised questioningly.
"You were messing with me, weren't you," the Latina accused. At seeing her friend's unspoken response, via the mockery written in the redhead's expression, she rolled her eyes and scoffed in feigned irritation. Though relieved, she still felt it appropriate to offer, "But, seriously, do you want to go to another club or bar?"
"No, this is fine," Addison assured her with a grin, moving to settle comfortably against the padded backrest. With another cursory glance around the place, she added, "Seems safe enough. And we can actually converse without having to shout."
As she saw the heart doctor start to lean back as well, she quickly grabbed her purse from between them and transferred it to the empty space on her left side. She wanted to pretend that she did it out of politeness and courtesy instead of the desire to eliminate any barriers between their bodies.
She flashed Teddy a big smile when their shoulders brushed against each other's.
She suppressed the instinctual urge to fidget when she finally realized that their friends had observed the interaction and were eyeing them speculatively, bemused smiles on their faces.
To circumvent a potentially awkward moment, knowing full well that her dear friend would not be averse to a little good-humored revenge of her own and that the Peds attending would delight in playing matchmaker, Addison leaned forward and shifted to slide out of the booth. Though a subtle flirtation had begun during dinner, she wasn't prepared for it to be openly acknowledged just yet, by Callie and Arizona no less.
"Okay, so, uh, I'm gonna go … get us some drinks," she announced, presenting them all with a wide smile to mask her disconcertedness.
The three women instantly moved jerkily to stop her, letting out a distressed 'no' in unison.
Startled, Addison stared confusedly at each of them, taking note of Arizona's anxious lip-chewing, Callie's outstretched arm raised in her direction, and the hand that Teddy had wrapped around her wrist to prevent her from leaving.
"What?"
"Uh, Addison, that's not a good idea," Callie advised with another nervous laugh, lowering her arm.
"Why not," the redhead challenged.
"Er, you might want to refrain from going to the bar unaccompanied," Arizona chimed in, a bit flustered. At the OB-GYN's cocked eyebrow, she further explained with a small smile, "Uh, someone might try to pick you up."
"Fantastic," Addison enthused, surprising her companions. With a naughty twinkle in her eyes, she disentangled her wrist from the blonde's loose grip and got to her feet. "I want the full experience," she added with a flirtatious giggle, throwing them a sexy wink before stepping away, her hips swaying in understated seduction.
X ~~~~~~~~~~ X
She rested her weight against the bar, her right leg slightly extended behind her, the pointed toes of her shoe playfully teetering on the carpeted floor as her fingers drummed rhythmically to the music against the countertop.
As she waited for the bartender to finish attending to a couple seated at the opposite end of the bar, she curiously, as discretely as she could, glanced at the patrons in the immediate vicinity. Contrary to her expectation of loud chattering and inappropriate displays of affection (at least what would be considered inappropriate in public), she observed that the women were dispersed around the establishment in either couples or groups, engaged in conversation or enjoying themselves on the dance floor. Though bursts of laughter could be heard above the blare of music, it was generally a subdued and restrained atmosphere.
Her gaze fell on a brunette seated two spaces to her left, the petite frame, impeccably clad in a chic pantsuit, turned toward her direction. At the woman's obvious interest in her, Addison trampled on the apprehension that was steadily building, and she flashed her a weak smile. However, if she were honest, she also couldn't completely discount the traces of delight at the attention being paid her.
With the demise of her marriage and the recent succession of relationship failures, she badly needed a boost of confidence. Though it was unusual and atypical to be seeking that kind of validation from a fellow woman, it was just as effective in stroking her badly-bruised ego to know that she was still desirable and attractive. Her self-esteem in tatters, she'd take affirmation of her desirability and attractiveness in any way, shape or form … even if that meant getting a thrill out of another female scoping her out. Sad and pathetic, she admits, but that was her reality.
Her heart started to beat wildly when she saw the brunette get up from her chair, casually moving closer to her. Trepidation warred with excitement.
"I've never seen you here before," the woman observed with a melodious timbre, the surprisingly feminine tone destroying yet another of Addison's preconceived notions of lesbians. Not having been exposed to gay relationships in her adult life, with Callie and Arizona as the only couple she directly knew (and even that didn't have much bearing because she lived in a different state), she attributed her regretful stereotype of gays to what she's been exposed to, particularly through media. Though she herself had never entertained the possibility of being attracted to women, she held no judgments or prejudices against lesbians; as she told Callie, she was all for it. More so now.
Her very recent discovery of her mother's sexuality still has her reeling, the hurts and devastation caused by her family's visit still fresh. But it wasn't the fact that Bizzy was a lesbian that had upset her. Rather, it was the deceits and the lies, and the deep sadness she felt about her mother's unhappiness over the past forty years. Her grief stems from the knowledge that her mother had to endure dissatisfaction and keep up pretenses for the sake of her family.
And just like her earlier hypothesis of lesbianism being contagious, she, too, dismissed the idea that perhaps she may have inherited the inclination from her mother. In this particular instance, it was definitely not a case of nature vs. nurture because she didn't know about Bizzy's sexual preference until a few days ago. As a scientist, she knew that there was still an ongoing debate on whether being gay is a genetic predisposition.
It did, however, make her more aware and open to the exploration of her own sexuality. Or at least be open to the idea of sharing an attraction with someone of the same sex.
Shaking thoughts of Bizzy from her mind, she focused her attention on the woman standing next to her.
"I haven't been here before," Addison responded with a smile, slanting the angle of her body a little to face her. "I'm only visiting from LA."
"Ah! I was actually certain that this was your first visit," the brunette said, returning the smile. "Otherwise, I would have remembered you."
Addison tsked tsked as she slowly shook her head, her lips twisting into a bemused smirk as her eyes sparkled with mirth.
"I didn't think that line was still being used these days," Addison explained laughingly, eliciting a chuckle from the brunette.
"You're right; it does sound old school, doesn't it? Okay, how about I try another classic," the woman quipped through her laughter, "May I buy you a drink?"
"I'd rather you didn't," Teddy answered for the redhead, stepping into place beside her, "She's with me." Wrapping an arm around the neonatal surgeon's waist, she addressed her with a smile, "What happened to those drinks, honey?"
"Haven't had the chance to place my order yet, babe," Addison replied flirtatiously, easily leaning into the loose embrace. The blonde's arrival didn't catch her unawares this time. The now familiar scent of her perfume had announced her approach. But even if it didn't, her newly acquired sense of awareness of Teddy had already warned her of the impending intrusion.
"And that's my cue to excuse myself," the brunette announced good-naturedly, giving the redhead another appraising glance before walking away.
They maintained their display of affection until the woman was safely out of hearing.
"Babe," Teddy asked teasingly, reluctantly lowering her arm from Addison's waist. Mimicking the redhead's actions, she moved to lean against the counter, her right side pressed against the other woman's left.
"Shut it. I thought it sounded like something a lesbian would use. Plus, it was the first thing that came to mind," she responded with a giggle, a tad regretful about the absence of Teddy's arm around her. Gently shoving the blonde, she asked just as playfully, "And what about you, missy? What's with the marking of territory?"
"We were watching you and thought you needed rescuing," the blonde justified, her gaze once again zeroing in on the redhead's lips. The tip of her tongue darted out to moisten her own lips, and she knew by the way Addison's lips had parted that she was just as affected by the undercurrents of desire and tension between them.
Leaning closer till their faces were inches apart, she added sultrily, "Besides, I'm your one-night-stand this evening, and I'm disinclined to share you with others, Dr. Montgomery."
It's short, I know. And not much Teddison. If I waited to post until the entire intended outline for this chapter was done, you wouldn't get an update till late next week. I'm still trying to work on how the flirtation would play out, but I appreciate NKOTBROCKS2007's advice on how to brush up on my flirting skills. Think of this little update as setting the stage for a more comfortable and uninhibited interaction between them (hey, the one-night-stand thingy has been acknowledged and brought up, so that deserves some points, doesn't it? Oh, and pls don't get upset over the use of ONS; it'll come into play at the end). Also, Andrea (Pandora007) wanted to see another update (and I quote, 'like in … tomorrow?'), and I aim to please … so all blame for the shortness of this chap goes to her :P
Much thanks to DoctorM79, mossmomma, NKOTBROCKS2007, rrutu, Kelly (yay, you read this one, too … your reviews mean so much to me, luv), and PassionforFassion, for taking the time to give me feedback about the first chapter; I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed what I wrote. Andrea, so pleased to know that you liked the story, since it was written for you. As for your idea, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Don't fret, though, coz Teddison will ditch them soon.
Thanks so much for reading.
p.s. mini freak out: what the heck did I get myself into, delving into a new ship? Freak out over; will go work on that date now