Chloe was well-known for her confidence, her radiance, and her determination. They were always used for positive purposes- fundraisers, persuading professors, leading in the many different areas of her life. But for once, these traits were used for something else entirely. Denying the events of last weekend.

She knew it wasn't healthy, but it sure as hell wasn't worth the headache of trying to figure out what was going on with her. For one, she had always been positive about her sexual orientation, which was straight, and had never even considered another path. Like the one with curves and soft edges and gentleness. The path that swung the other way. She decided to avoid bringing Saturday up with Stacie, opting to pretend like it never happened. The more she told herself that "the incident" (as she now referred to it as) was just a random drunken occurrence, the more she could focus on returning back to normal.

After all, it wasn't a big deal, right? With a girl like Beca, she knew she wouldn't come back. People like that were always making promises that they never followed through with, so it was best to just put it out of mind. They would probably never see each other again. Right?

But there was a persistent little itch in her brain that wouldn't go away. One that kept imagining what would happen if she did come back. It was distracting, and every time Chloe played into the daydreams she feel pervasive guilt. They would come to her in class, on the elliptical, in line for coffee, admittedly in the shower. She couldn't get the girl out of her mind. Chloe wanted her to come back to BU but quietly accepted the unlikeliness of the event.

Time heals all problems, and Chloe's situation was no exception. She had succeeded in pushing Beca out of her mind. It had been two weeks, longer than it normally took for the redhead to reduce a flame to an ember, but she had gotten over it nonetheless.

She was currently taking notes in Communications 499 and listening with her full attention to the professor as she took notes when a side conversation from her peers interrupted her train of thought.

She waited momentarily for a lull to politely as Stacie and Cynthia Rose to stop whispering when her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Hey what are you doing this weekend, dawg? Do you want to go to the party on Fifth?" Cynthia Rose asked the tall brunette from her place behind Chloe.

"I don't know, man. Beca's coming this weekend, so unless you can get her in, then I'd probably have to say no."

The tip of Chloe's pen dug deep into the paper, imprinting the ghosts of words on the next several sheets below the surface.

"Ah. Well, I'll see if I can get both of you in, I know the owner of the house so it shouldn't be too hard."

"Okay! I'll ask Becs about it and then I'll get back to you."

"Dope. Sounds good, mate."

Chloe didn't realize she had stopped breathing and was desperately trying not to convey that she overheard the conversation. She especially didn't want Stacie to find out, because she got the feeling Stacie would get protective over Beca.

The thing about Stacie was that she was territorial. That much was obvious when it came to her habits with men, at least. There was a translation to how she acted around her friends as well. She was possessive, liking to be in control, and this meant being acknowledged every damn time she introduced mutual friends together. So she took credit for Chloe and Beca's meeting, and she felt this entitled her to an explanation for what happened two weekends ago. So the older girl had purposely put a safe distance between them in order to avoid an explanation.

But now the mission was somehow getting to higher ground with Stacie so that she could see Beca again. It would be agonizing to have Beca back at Barden this weekend, out of sight and out of reach. Just when she had stopped thinking about her night with the mysterious brunette, this chance bubbled to the surface quite coincidentally.

Shit. There was a problem. Chloe was already engaged in important plans on Friday night, plans that she wouldn't dare cancel. Her student manager in the public relations office had invited her over to a fancy group dinner with drinks and a trip to the theater, and she had already plus-oned Fat Amy. And it wasn't just at anyone's house. The man hosting the dinner just happened to be a world-renouned photographer for Time Magazine, retired now but in his prime he had impressed the world. His name was Anton and he was the real deal in the field. His talents extended beyond his role behind the lens- he was an artist of many mediums, a fabulous musician, a gay rights activist, and a seasoned cook who never ceased to impress his guests with his home-cooked meals. Anton was a modern Renaissance man who could beat the Dos Equis man hands down in a competition for cultured class.

The first time that Chloe ever visited her house she was nervous, not to be on a date with Jesse, but that Jesse had relayed to her that Anton specifically requested her presence. How had he known about her before she had any idea who he was? Either way, that night several months ago Jesse had mentally prepared her for the dinner while they made a quick pit stop to Safeway to contribute to the table. They were walking down the wine aisle for some Yellow Tail when he stopped her.

"You ready for tonight?"

"You betcha. I've been waiting for this all week! From what I've heard he seems really mysterious."

"Good. Most people are pretty nervous to meet him, because he's rather… Eccentric."

"Eccentric? But not in like a cat-hoarder way, right?"

"Well, he's pretty… Out there. He's a bold dude."

"Go on."

"Well for one, he's travelled the world and he's been to some exotic places. Some of the stories that he'll tell you are just as exotic. But they're all true."

"Okay. Note taken."

"And he has some pretty wild art around his house. But you're gonna love it, Chlo." He gave her arm a squeeze. They had meandered to the cheese aisle by now.

"So why aren't we dressed nicer for tonight then?"

He chuckled.

"What?"

"You'll come to find pretty quick that he wouldn't care if we showed up in garbage bags. He's the least-shallow dude you've ever met. He's probably going to put you on the spot tonight with some pretty deep questions… So be prepared to be your best self."

He drove them to the top of the hill that overlooked the city, to a neighborhood Chloe had never been to. They pulled up outside of an unassuming house, warmed by internal lights. She suddenly felt the stirrings of butterflies in her stomach, caterpillars coming out of their cocoons.

She took one last look at the setting sun over the city below her and Jesse gave her a knowing smirk. She expected him to knock on the door, or perhaps ring the bell but instead he turned the knob and walked right in. Chloe's eyes adjusted to the light and was taken aback by the combination of cozy grandeur of the home. Dark wood floors adorned with animal furs were underfoot, accented by floor to ceiling shelves stocked with books. Leather armchairs occupied the living room to one side with glass end tables and cases filled with various antiques. To the right, further from the entrance, a wise old piano stood guard next to a brick fireplace. The art that was on the mantel took her breath away- a hot air balloon with two passengers, a man in a tuxedo and a red-haired woman in a lace dress. She was absorbed in the piece when a voice spoke beside her.

"Well you must be the lovely Ms. Beale."

She jumped at the sight of the medium-height silver-goateed man beside her. Anton.

"Hello, sir. I was just admiring your art here. Who did it?"

"None of that sir stuff. You can call me Anton," he said, passing by her outstretched hand in anticipation of a handshake and kissed both of her cheeks. "And it was me."

Chloe jerked her attention back to her Comm 499 professor as other students started to leave the classroom. Looks like she had gotten caught in memories again, it had been like this in the three days since Beca's visit. She collected her things a beat later and made her way out.

She knew that she needed to find a way to spend time with Beca on Friday, that is, if she was really coming. But there was no way that she could bow out, right? When she got back to her dorm, she opened her email making sure that the invite was for this Friday, opening her desktop calendar as well.

"Ugh, Chloe. What have you gotten yourself into?" she asked aloud, putting her face in her hands.

She read the email that Jesse forwarded her from Anton.

"FWD: The Last Supper.

Hello to my young adult friends at BU. This week(end) I will be hosting dinner at my place. Be prepared to talk philosophy and dreams, and please bring a contribution to the table. This will likely be one of the last times we can all get together for the year for those of you who aren't staying here in Atlanta. So we're going to make it count. I will be hosting back-to-back dinners, one on Thursday and the other on Friday, since I want to see all of you at least once. Feel free to arrive to both. The more the merrier. Ciao, Anton."

No way. Two days? She was instantly saved. She fired off a quick email saying that she would be there on Thursday with Fat Amy before jumping out of her chair, pumping her fist in the air and pattering her feet in place on the carpeted floor. Just then, Aubrey entered the room.

"Whoa, what's going on here, Beale?"

"Ah! Nothing it's just my lucky day!" She went running out the door in her socks, down the hall to Fat Amy's room. She knocked rapidly on the door, entering before an answer.

"Hey! What the hell- Oh. It's you."

"You bet it's me!" Chloe exclaimed, jumping onto the bed that Fat Amy and her laptop were occupying.

"What if I had been indecent, or lady-jammin' when you came in?"

"Then I guess you would've had to put some clothes on!"

"Your lack of boundaries are going to get you in trouble one day, Red. I bet you'll burst in on a Mafia deal sometime and that'll be the end of you. Besides, what are you so perky about?"

"Well, I thought my plans were ruined for this weekend. Something came up on Friday and I wasn't going to be able to make it to Anton's with you, and I was trying to figure out a way to tell you."

Amy's face fell. "But I've been looking forward to meeting him for ages, dude. All you ever do is talk this bloke up, and I already picked out an outfit that would make Beyonce pale in comparison."

"I know! But it turns out, we can still go! He's having a dinner on Thursday too!"

"Dude no what the hell?"

"What?"

"If it's on Thursday I can't go. I was already invited to perform at the alumni gala." It was known that every year, the up-and-coming underclassmen performing arts majors were showcased at the university gala, demonstrating the promise of youth or something like that.

"Oh…"

"And this is for-sure the last dinner of the year?"

Well, there was Friday of course… but Chloe couldn't waste her chance to see Beca again. She surely couldn't let that tiny little fact slip. So she changed tactics.

"Well, he did call it The Last Supper," she deftly avoided.

"Ah. I'm really sorry, Red, but I can't go."

"But I already said that you were coming with me, and I told him all about you when I first made the proposal that you'd be my plus one. He's excited to meet you."

"Well I'm sorry, okay?"

"I'm going to look dumb going alone now. Nobody ever shows up to Anton's alone." She threw on her famous puppy eyes for good measure. Even though she knew Fat Amy couldn't miss the gala, it would deflect some of the suspicion for the reason behind the change of plans on Friday.

"Well I can't do anything about it. You're the one who changed the day anyway."

"Fine. I'll invite someone else then. Stacie."

"Don't be like that. Besides, Stacie's performing on Thursday too, so…"

Shit. She looked like a jerk now. Not only that, but she really would have to go to Anton's alone in two days.

"Well I guess I'll figure something out then."

As rocky as that had been, at least she was free for Friday now. The easy part was over, now she just had to find a way to lock down some time with Beca Mitchell.

Bear with me, friends. I'm following a strict outline for this one and it's not quite linear so who knows what's on the horizon? :) I promise to update again soon so that you're not kept waiting too long for action!