Fic: California Dreaming
Chapter 3: Interviews
Author: deeha
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
Summary: Santana and Rachel fly from New York to Los Angeles for a couple days to do television appearances. Not only does Santana have to learn how to deal with their newfound stardom, but also her feelings for Rachel.
Following Tina down the corridor to get to their seats, Santana gets sidetrack when she sees a food services table. She runs back to grab a red Gatorade bottle to drink and wash down the bitter taste left from the tea.
However, she's further delayed when she hears Rachel call out for her. Santana sees her milling about waiting to go on.
The white summer dress that Rachel is wearing is adorable and makes Santana feel like she is too casual in her jeans, black v-neck top, with leather jacket to match. But this is California, everyone dresses casual.
"Looking good, Berry. Ready?"
Rachel laughs as she gingerly takes the red Gatorade bottle from Santana to take a sip, "Thank you, and of course I'm ready. I've been practicing my interview smile since I was three. The head tilt, hair back, brow raise, chin down, three fourths teeth, no gums - smile."
"You're crazy."
Rachel is just about to reply but someone jumps out at them, not only scaring both the girls but making Rachel spill the red drink all over her dress.
Ellen just jumped out of them..."Oh sorry! I like scaring people! Sorry!"
Rachel is a bit mortified that her white dress is now red, and Santana thinks that the interview smile may not make an appearance.
Ellen keeps talking, "I'll get you some clothes, so sorry! See you on the stage, you'll be great!"
The girls watch Ellen sprint off to start the show. Rachel slowly turns to Santana. Santana can't help but start laughing.
Rachel's eyes bug out, "This is terrible!"
One of Ellen's interns runs out to them and curses, "Oh shapoopie."
Rachel looks like she's on the verge of tears, especially when the intern slowly offers a t-shirt and sweats...with Ellen insignia on it.
She politely takes it from the intern who slinks away. If only Santana had been so lucky to escape.
Santana abruptly stops laughing when Rachel directs her death glare to her. "Santana, take off your clothes."
"Eh?"
"I can't possibly make my first television appearance in a white dress splashed with red Gatorade, nor can I go on air with Ellen sweats!"
"They aren't so bad."
"Then you wear them!"
Rachel grabs and drags them back into her dressing room. Rachel kicks off her heels then starts unbuckling Santana's jeans.
Santana knows she should probably protest. Or run and get Tina to switch clothes with Rachel. But this is sort of nice.
She takes off her jacket as Rachel works on tugging Santana out of her pants.
"Santana! Take off your shoes! Come on!"
She's a little stunned. Because now Rachel is pulling her white dress up and over her head and Santana was not expecting to see white lacy underwear on a very tight body.
The figure of Rachel's body that Santana's been frustrated over for so long was now on display for her.
Sure they are roommates, but she knows how to be respectful. But she'll admit there are times when Rachel would walk around half dressed and Santana would take a mental picture.
But every once in awhile Rachel's belly button taunts her, and now was one of those times. If only she could touch.
Santana hops on one leg while trying to take off her shoes and not trip with her pants halfway down her legs. It doesn't help that her concentration is focused on Rachel's breasts.
Rachel's white lace bra hides nothing. Santana falls over.
Rachel drops down to her knees to quickly yank Santana's shoes off. Santana wants to pull Rachel on top of her but Rachel's one track mind is to take Santana's pants off. Then Rachel's the one hopping on one leg to put Santana's pants on and rolling the pant legs up since Santana has an extra inch on her.
"Santana! Take off your shirt!" shouts Rachel as she puts her heels back on.
Santana shakes herself out of her shirt and gives it to Rachel. Rachel puts on the shirt and goes to the mirror to fluff out her hair and do some very last minute touch ups.
Santana is still on the floor in just her underwear, when Tina and Mercedes rush into the room.
Tina shouts, "What are you guys doing! What the hell? Santana where are your clothes? Rachel why are you wearing Santana's clothes? Santana why are you on the floor? Did you just have sex?"
Santana scrambles to stand up and screams, "Tina!"
But Mercedes pushes Santana out of the way, making her tumble over again. "Move! Rachel! What happened to your hair?"
Tina whips her head back and forth as if she's watching a tennis match, still waiting for someone to answer her sex question.
Mercedes grunts, "This shirt does nothing for your breasts. Where are they?" And then she proceeds to feel Rachel up, trying to perk her breasts up to fill Santana's shirt.
Rachel starts giggling and swatting Mercedes away, "Stop it! I have to go on!"
Santana gets up from the floor and crosses her arms and juts her hip out, "Yeah, stop it Mercedes."
The intern comes back and ushers them out.
Tina is still whispering to Santana, "So did you have sex?"
Mercedes is rushing after Rachel to give her Santana's jacket, since Santana is too busy rolling her eyes at Tina.
Despite the rush behind the scenes, Rachel is relaxed and poised as she easily laughs with Ellen. The audience seems to enjoy her as well and Santana is just about to relax. But then Ellen brings up the tabloids...and the picture of her and Rachel.
Ellen coyly asks, "So who is that?"
Rachel lights up and honestly answers, "That is the uncommonly beautiful and infinitely expressive, incomparable Santana Lopez. She's my best friend. She has a song out on the radio and it's sure to be a hit!"
Ellen suggestively prods, "Your best friend?"
"Oh yes, she and I have been through so much! We've known each other since high school. It's truly a tumultuous history. She really pushes my buttons sometimes."
The audience laughs and Santana may actually die at the fact that Rachel doesn't realize that she is feeding rumors of them being a couple.
No matter how much Santana wants them to truly be together, she still wants in on her terms and being teased about it in public isn't ideal.
The next picture that Ellen shows makes Santana want to crawl into a hole and die. It's a picture of her sitting with Sophia Grace and Rosie in their tea room.
Rachel "awes" along with the crowd who think they are looking at a really cute picture.
Ellen laughs and says, "Apparently, today Santana gave an interview with our correspondents Sophia Grace and Rosie!"
Santana squeaks after realizing that Ellen actually called them her correspondents and her little conversation with the girls may have been recorded. Tina grabs her arm in a death grip and turns, "What did you do?"
Santana can't even answer. Mercedes and Puck are laughing together like pleased little children.
Ellen comments as her eyes sparkle, "Why are you wearing Santana's clothes? It looks like the same outfit."
The crowd gets in on the joke and the "awes" turn into "oh!" and whistles.
Rachel is blushing and is about to explain to the audience that Ellen scared them earlier, but a buzzing and then a very loud ring tone sings, "She's into superstitions, black cats and voodoo dogs."
The audience starts laughing when they realize that it's Rachel's cell phone...or rather Santana's cell phone that is ringing.
"Oh my goodness! I apologize! I would never! It's Santana's phone - when we switched clothes!" Rachel continues to fish in her borrowed jacket's pockets to find the phone.
The audience is still laughing at Rachel's embarrassment, even Tina is amused as she whispers to Santana, "Who is it?"
Santana watches in horror as Ellen begs Rachel to answer the mystery caller, only Santana knowing that, "It's my Mom."
Tina laughs and asks, "Living the Vida Loca is the ringtone you have for her?"
Santana glares, "She likes Ricky Martin!"
There is nothing Santana can do as she watches along with the audience and Rachel answers her phone, "Hello? Oh! Mrs. Lopez! How lovely it is to hear from you."
Ellen grins and says, "Hi Mrs. Lopez!"
Rachel laughs, "Yes. That was Ellen." She puts the cell phone down for a moment and tells Ellen, "She says hi." Ellen and the audience laugh.
Santana hopes that her mom will be satisfied with that and just hang up, but nope. Rachel continues to talk with her, "Oh yes. Santana is here too, but can I have her call you back? Oh, right now?"
Ellen laughs and Santana just knows that the cameraman has moved the spotlight to her. There is no way they would give up that shot.
She's on air...in Ellen sweats.
Tina face palms.
They are rushing into the minivan cab to get to the Jimmy Kimmel show. Santana, Rachel and Tina sit in the third row, and Mercedes and Puck sit in the second row.
Surprisingly Rachel is pleased, "On the whole, I have to say that the interview went very well." Tina and Mercedes are looking in the goody bag Ellen gave her, and Puck is waving to all the fans as they leave the lot.
Santana is on the phone with her mother. "Ma. Yes, I'm fine. California is great. Mom, I told you I'm not going on The Talk. I'm singing my song on the Jimmy Kimmel show."
Santana sighs and hands her phone over to Tina, "My Mom wants to talk to you."
Tina smiles and excitedly takes the phone, "Hi Mrs. Lopez! Oh well, I think Sharon is beautiful for her age too. Yes. Aisha is very pretty. Sheryl? Yup, very funny. No, I don't know Julie Chen, yeah; I heard she is really smart. Oh. No. I didn't know that about Sara. She did what?"
Santana rolls her eyes.
Rachel interrupts and says, "Noah, close your eyes. Santana take off your clothes."
Puck laughs, "I think I'll keep my eyes open."
Mercedes hits him over the head. He shouts, "Dang it Mercedes, quit beating me up."
Mercedes chuckles, "Stop deserving it."
Rachel is already stripping and Santana is missing it. She directs her attention to Rachel taking off her shirt. She shouldn't feel this hot just because her friend is taking off her shirt. Perhaps it's the small space they are in.
Watching Rachel stretch her torso and pull at her shirt gives Santana a little thrill. When Rachel throws the shirt on her lap, it reminds her that she should switch their shirts.
Rachel shimmies in her seat to take off her pants and Santana helps pull it off her legs and unconsciously caresses her calves while doing so.
They must go over a speed bump because she's knocked into the second seat and Puck hollers.
Mercedes laughs, "Oh stop, you aren't hurt."
Santana takes off her shorts and hands it to a laughing Rachel. Especially after hearing Tina say, "Yes, I made sure Santana packed clean underwear. Just saw it."
The Kimmel show is in full swing, and Jimmy wraps up his last interview. Santana is doing a quick sound check before the taping resumes.
Tina walks over and says, "Guess what? Jimmy has some extra time, something like Matt Damon couldn't make it, so he's going to interview you in the chair."
Santana balks, "In the chair? What? I thought I was just going to sing, then he would come up to the mic and ask me like one question and that'd be it!"
"Well. Nope. So Yay!" Tina gives her two thumbs up and runs away.
The stage manager is giving her the cue that they are ready, and to the side, Jimmy is introducing her.
The chords to her song start and for a moment her mind goes blank.
She scans the crowd and sees a bunch of unfamiliar faces, all judging her. She gets it. She's this new artist whose song is just making the charts.
But then she sees her friends, Mercedes and Puck madly grinning. Tina clapping her hands to the beat along with the audience. And lastly, Rachel.
Beautiful and smiling, encouraging Rachel, dressed in Ellen shorts and a Jimmy Kimmel t-shirt.
She almost laughs into the mic but saves herself and sings her heart out.
Jimmy escorts her to his desk for the interview and even though she knows the audience is applauding, she can't hear it because her heart is beating fast and the rush of blood to her head is drowning it out.
Before she sits she adjusts her leather jacket and waves to the crowd, inhales a deep breath and manages to say thank you.
Jimmy smiles and asks, "So I hear this is your first time in California?"
Santana smiles. She nods her head.
Jimmy laughs, "Do anything fun while you've been here?"
Santana smiles and nods her head again.
Then she realizes she isn't talking. What the hell? She's Santana Lopez, she's hot, she's talented, and she can speak.
She can feel the hot stage lights shine on her and she can't believe that she isn't saying anything. She knows she's about to sweat, she knows this because this is how she always felt before going on Fondue for Two. She actually hates talking about herself. She loves singing and performing, but her personal life is personal. Ask me about my song.
Jimmy smiles, "I've render you speechless." The audience laughs and Santana manages to laugh with everyone too.
The stage manager is signaling for what looks like 'take a commercial?'
Then Santana's cell phone rings, "Beautiful girls all over the world, I could be chasing but my time would be wasting. They got nothing on you baby."
Jimmy laughs, "Is someone calling you? Bruno Mars?"
Santana whips her head to stare at Rachel - who has her cell phone out, with the biggest smile on her face.
The audience laughs and applauds when they realize that Rachel Berry is in the crowd and is calling Santana.
Jimmy invites Rachel to the stage. Of course Rachel jaunts up to the stage and scoots herself next to Santana, since there is only one chair. Jimmy laughs as he introduces, "Rachel Berry, everyone. Great t-shirt."
Rachel stands up again and models her outfit for the audience who applauds and enjoys her impromptu fashion catwalk. Their friends' cheering is the loudest. It makes Santana smile.
Rachel sits back down close to Santana and Jimmy asks, "So I see you're traveling with Santana?"
Rachel smiles and comfortingly squeezes Santana's thigh as the share the chair. "Yes, and we love California! I just filled my memory card with pictures of the beach. Santana said I needed more pictures of people though, so we'll have to take one with you before we leave!"
Santana smiles at Rachel, "Great idea."
Jimmy claps, "She speaks! Ladies and Gent's we found the secret weapon! It's Rachel Berry."
Rachel laughs and takes it all in good fun and Santana shrugs her shoulders, because apparently it's true.
