Chapter Four: Girls Night Out Part Deux
"Hi Quinn, Santana, and I don't think we've met before." Mother of all evil, this cannot be happening. "Hey Berry. Funny seeing you here," Santana greeted, as she got up to give Rachel an awkward hug. "This is my cousin Emily, Emily Fields. Emily this is the Rachel Berry." Rachel smiled at Emily who was now standing and shaking her hand.
I felt so cold and lonesome sitting on the curb all by myself. Not only did I feel cold and lonesome but also I was silly drunk and apparently incapable of speaking so I sang, I sang in my head, "When I was young I never needed anyone and making love was just for fun. Those days are gone… ALL BY MYSELF… Don't want to be ALL BY MYSELF anymore…" I had to. How could I not sing the forever-alone theme song? It was the perfect moment to bang it out with all three of them looking down on me. Rachel especially was staring at me like I was extraterrestrial. I guess she was waiting for me to say hi or to say anything really. The three of them stood there staring at me, all with various expressions. I felt like a kid in trouble with his parents. Emily was standing behind Santana, still buzzed I'm guessing because she was doing the cha-cha with the parking meter. Santana and Rachel were standing next to each other. Santana was giving me her best bitchface while the latter was beaming rainbows and unicorns. I repeat, I'm doomed. Santana kicked my heels and it woke me up from my daze.
For the last two weeks, I have spent an absurd amount of time ridding myself of all things Rachel Berry but boy did someone above or down below really have it out for me because really? Really? Of all the nights that I could bump into her it had to happen the night that I was a belligerent drunk. This was perfection at its worse, karma at its best. I shoved any rational thoughts that were telling me that this, this right here was a very bad idea. But at a time like this you have to be irrational and just act on pure adrenaline or in my case pure drunkenness.
"You okay there Quinn?" and that was all it took to bring me back to life. I lifted myself from the curb and clung onto the wall for dear life. I straightened my clothes and she met me half way.
"Hey Berry." I scolded myself for the lame greeting because really what else does one say or can say that would be appropriate in this kind of situation?
"I thought I saw you at the bar earlier but I wasn't too sure if it was you," she said rather casually as she stood next to me, her body curiously close to mine. It felt warm. She was warm. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was all her.
"Well yeah. It's me," I said then mentally face palmed myself, at least I thought it was mentally but I actually did it. Rachel tried to hide her smile as she kicked an invisible pebble into the air. Santana and Emily watched us each with a pained expression. Friends' psyche is a beautiful thing I tell you. It works wonders in these specific situations. The cousins were wary and ready to save me at any moment.
"Well alright, as lovely as this reunion is we have to get going soon Berry. As you can see boozy number one and boozy number two here need to call it a night," Santana said, nodding her head like she was convincing herself of something.
"Oh, Um. How are you guys getting home?" Rachel asked, with her eyes set on me.
"I called a cab. It should be on its way," Santana replied. I bet she was cursing herself now for not thinking this out through and through. Girls night out always ended with one, two, or all of us drunk but we never really went home right after. Usually we would walk around the Castro or end up at a food truck to eat then maybe go home.
I can still feel Rachel's heat next to me. She felt like the sun she was so hot. "You know my manager provided me with this limousine service for the night and I will be more than happy to share and give you guys a ride home," Rachel offered. Emily laughed. Santana was wide eyed. I was not there. I checked myself out of this conversation the moment I facepalmed myself. Well damn, can one of us please speak? It's rude to keep a person hanging on a question.
"That would be sublime Ms. Berry. We would lo," Emily responded, hiccupped then continued, "Excuse me, love a ride."
"Oh I don't know Em. We wouldn't want to bother Rachel on her night out," Santana quipped. "Besides I'm sure the cab will be here any minute now."
"Whaaaaa… That's nonsense." Hiccups. "Why waste money when a better offer came along right Quinn?" Emily slurred. I think she might have even winked. Emily Emily Emily. Though on a normal night I would totally get a kick out of your drunken behavior tonight was just not the night. I haven't said a single word for the last five minutes and with good reasons and you decide to direct a question at me? Are you insane? You know I know that Santana can be a lot of wicked things but if anything her ability to be a good friend trumps her sinful qualities.
"This is totally up to you Quinn," Santana assured me. Rachel looked utterly confused. "Because she usually pays for the fare you see so we're just giving her the option to save some dough," Santana explained. Rachel nodded but looked unconvinced of the lie. It wasn't a complete lie I always did pay for the cab fare. Well shit I guess it's my turn to talk. "Uh, if you really don't mind I guess we can take you up on your offer. If you don't mind really because I mean you're you and you could have a million other things you could be doing or wanting to do. I don't… I mean we don't want to be on the way."
Rachel playfully bumped her shoulders against mine, "Oh Quinn I didn't know you had the penchant for rambling," she teased. "Come on let's get the three of you home. Just give your addresses to the driver and you'll be set."
I always hear people speak of their awkward moments… The awkward moment when you realize your sister is actually your mother. The awkward moment when you realize that you're in the wrong lecture and have to sneak out during roll call to get to the right one. The awkward moment when you realize you haven't had your period in months and might be pregnant. You know those kinds of moments. I'm ashamed to say but I get a real bang out of hearing those mostly because they're unbelievable and just so funny. It's totally another story when it's happening to you. For me, my awkward moment would be as follows. The awkward moment when you realize that you're sitting in a limo drunk and speechless with a famous celebrity who happens to be the woman that you're crushing on. The same woman you've tortured for two years in high school with the same friend you've tortured her with and her cousin who was now suffering from a case of the funeral giggles. That's my awkward moment.
The three intoxicated passengers sat huddled together on the side of the limo where the refreshments were. Rachel said feel free to drink anything that was on the bar. Santana complied with the offer and gave Emily and me water bottles. "Sober up for goodness sakes," she whispered. Rachel was sitting by herself, hands on her lap looking lady like as ever.
"So Rachel, what are you doing here in San Francisco?" Who said that? Who dared disturb the peace and quiet? I bent my upper body forward pass Santana's. Emily? Santana was sitting between Emily and I. Emily sat close to Rachel while Santana strategically placed me furthest away from her. Rachel's window was open. Smart idea since we all reeked of alcohol. Her hair was blowing with the wind looking like a shampoo commercial. She turned her head away from the window as she heard Emily speaking slash slurring, "The Broadway show that I'm currently part of is being moved here. The producers wanted to reach a new set of audience so here I' am," she finished with a smile.
"Very cool," Emily said. Santana and I just nodded our heads. The city lights were blinding and I can see the fog appearing. How appropriate, signs of a bad omen. The limo turned onto my street and I was leaping out of my seat with giddiness. Somewhere between the time we left the bar to now it was decided that Emily and Santana would be staying over. The limo stopped outside of my building. Rachel opened the door for the three us and stepped out. One by one we not so gracefully got out of the limo. Rachel closed the door and walked with us until we reached the entrance of my building.
"Thank you again Berry. It was real neat of you to give us a ride," Santana said, "And as a real thank you when your show opens we will all be there for opening night. But in the mean time if ever you want a tour guide to the city between the three of us I'm sure we can show you a real good time." I looked at the pair dumbfounded. They were exchanging numbers and amiable smiles. "Come on boozy one and two. Let's get you two upstairs. Say good bye to the nice pretty lady."
Rachel chuckled, "It was really lovely to meet you Emily." Emily saluted pinky and thumb touching three fingers in the air. "And I hope to see you soon Quinn. Catch up and all."
"Yeah, that'd be nice," I said. "And thank you for the ride. Again."
Crickets. "Cool beans then. We'll get going now. Enjoy the rest of your night Berry," Santana buzzed in. "Right so…" Oh for heavens sake can we just go now? Shut up Santana. And she did. Right then she hugged Rachel Berry. A little taken back, Rachel wasn't sure how to react but eventually returned the hug. Emily bursts into a fit of giggles. I felt myself suddenly annoyed. Somehow I unconsciously pushed Emily. Not hard but she fell onto the bushes anyway. Santana and Rachel ended their hug and moved their eyes towards us, "I can't even…" Santana didn't finish her sentence. I'm thinking maybe she was worried that Emily was lost inside the bushes. They were pretty tall after all. "Are they…?" Rachel started to ask, taking a peak at the cousins. "They'll be fine," I finished. In an unexpected turn of events, Rachel hugged me. What is air? I don't even… I can't… What is a thought? How you do you process it? Without wanting to be I was overwhelmed with the heavenly scent of angels, garden of roses, meadows of jasmine, and possibly what Dianna Agron would smell like that's the combination that swarmed my body and I just stood there. My body went limp at her touch. Holy awkward! I had my arms hanging frozen by my side while hers encircled my body. Shit… It was kind of comforting. "Hopefully, I'll get to see you soon. Take Santana's offer on that tour of the city," she said, finally letting me go. Damn. "Yeah, you know anytime." Bam, she smiled again. I was a goner.
"Come on Q! Emily has splinters coming out of her ass," Santana yelled, pulling a still giggling Emily towards the front door.
"Coming," I yelled right back, "That's my cue to go. See you soon?"
"Yes, you most definitely will," Rachel replied, on her way back to the limo, "Quinn wait," she called out. She jogged back to where I was standing. She quickly took a pen out of her purse. Is she...? "In case Santana fails to contact me. Here's my number. Don't hesitate to use it." She whispered the last part like it was some big ole secret. I gave her one last wave and ran inside my building.
I joined Santana and Emily who were waiting for me at the lobby. "So Q… let me ask you this," Santana started, "Tell me honestly, how was your night?" I grinned. "Well S… I'll tell you this. O what a night, late December back in 2020. What a very special time for me. As I remember what a night!"