Chapter 4
"Are you nervous?" Joanne asked, as her and Callie walked the street towards the Life Café.
Callie shrugged, "A little."
Joanne smirked, "It's okay, I was nervous the first time I met them all too. They are really nice though, and very accepting. You could have eight eyes, and they still would want to hang out with you. Unless you piss them off…but I'm sure you'll do just fine."
"Well Mimi was very nice, and if they are anything like you two, then I can't wait to meet them." Callie smiled in Joanne's direction.
"Thank you." Joanne said quickly turning her head so Callie couldn't see her faint blush. Oh no Joanne thought to herself, you are not getting a crush on a straight girl!
"Joanne?" Callie called out, pulling the lawyer from her thoughts. "Life Café, right?"
Joanne shook her head clear, "Uh yeah…"
"We're here." Callie said with a low laughed, "I thought you were supposed to walk me to the restaurant?"
Joanne lightly laughed. "Yeah, sorry, I guess I was lost in thought."
"This girl is always thinking." Collins said out of nowhere with a chuckle, his arms wrapping around Joanne's waist from behind, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "How are you? And who is your friend?"
Joanne leaned back into his warm embrace, a grin on her lips, "I'm good, and this is Callie."
Collins let go of Joanne, and pulled Callie into a hug, "Nice to meet you."
Callie eyed Joanne, feeling a bit awkward by the sudden hug, but she could tell by Joanne's expression that she had nothing to be worried about.
"Nice to meet you too." Callie said, a bit more relaxed now, her arms finally wrapping around the professor.
"Shall we go inside?" Collins asked, while he opened the door for both of the women.
Right as Joanne walked in she was forced into a Mimi hug. "Hey Chica, I just wanted to warn you…Maureen is coming tonight. Are you going to be okay?"
Joanne stiffened up. She hadn't seen Maureen in almost two weeks, was she really ready to see the drama queen again?
"Um, yeah…yeah." Joanne nodded, "I'll be okay. We have to get over this some time, right?"
Mimi smiled, "Good, I'm proud of you." Her eyes soon shifted to Callie. "Hey, I'm happy you decided to come." She looped the doctor's arm, dragging her over to the table, Mark and Roger were sitting. "Roger, Mark, this is Callie, Joanne's friend, and now ours."
"Nice to meet you." Mark said as he stuck out his hand, shaking Callie's.
Roger stayed seated, doing the simple head nod in her direction, "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you." Callie smirked,
"Have a seat." Mark kindly offered, and Callie complied sitting across the table from the filmmaker and the rocker.
"I see you met Mark and Roger." Joanne said, talking a seat next to Callie.
"Who want's to start drinking?" Collins asked, taking the other spot next to Callie.
"I'm in." Callie answered, raising her hand.
"Anyone else?" Collins asked.
Mimi and Roger both nodded, while Joanne decided to give herself a break tonight, since she was wasted the night before.
"No drinking?" Callie asked surprised, "You were pounding the drinks back last night."
Joanne smirked with a nod, "I can't go two nights in a row."
Just then the restaurant door opened up, everyone's eyes quickly turned in that direction, and in entered Maureen. Tight leather pants, hooker boots, revealing top, and her swaying hips to match.
Everyone seemed to be entranced by her, because let's face it, it was Maureen Johnson, she knew how to make and entrance, and she always looked good.
"Oh great." Joanne whispered, not at all ready for this.
"Who's that?" Callie asked, her eyes never leaving the diva as she sauntered over to their table.
"My ex-girlfriend." Joanne replied, shifting uneasily in her seat.
Callie nodded in approval, "Wow she's-" she stopped herself from giving the drama queen a compliment for Joanne's sake, but Joanne ended up finishing the sentence for her,
"Gorgeous." Joanne said.
"Hey guys." Maureen brightly greeted, giving Collins the first hug and then moved on to Mimi.
"Be nice to Joanne, Maureen." Mimi whispered in her ear.
"I will. I didn't come here to start any drama." Maureen smirked, pulling away from the dancer. She walked around the table, ruffling Roger's hair, and finally talking a seat next to Mark, straight across from Joanne. She picked up her menu before making eye contact with the lawyer, "Hi…"
"Hi." Joanne lowly said everyone's eyes on the two of them.
"How are you?" Maureen asked.
"Good, you?" Joanne replied.
"Good." Maureen answered.
Silence
"Listen Joanne, if Mark and I can still be friends after what happened, there is no reason you and I can't." Maureen blurted.
"I know…" Joanne said almost in a whisper.
"Mark's the ex-boyfriend?" Callie whispered to Collins.
Collins nodded, "Yeah…Maureen cheated and dumped him for Joanne."
"Ouch." Callie nodded.
"I'd rather be friends than nothing at all." Joanne finally gave in, and Maureen smiled with joy.
"So let's start drinking!" Mimi declared.
Three hours later, everyone was still gathered at the life having a great time. The boho's all seemed to enjoy Callie too.
"So, what do you think of my friends." Joanne asked, as she joined Callie at the bar.
Callie smirked, leaning against the bar as she eyed the boho's. "Awesome."
Joanne nodded, "What do you think about Mark?"
Callie shrugged while she grabbed her drink, "Nice, why?"
"No reason." Joanne smirked.
"What are you thinking?" Callie asked.
"Nothing." Joanne insisted playfully, her eyes roaming the restaurant until they fell on Maureen, and her heart broke just a little more, as she watched her ex-girlfriend make out with one of the waitresses in the corner of the room.
Callie noticed the lawyer's face drop, her eyes following Joanne's, catching what she was looking at, "Still not over her are you?"
"I guess not…" Joanne quietly said, trying to hold her tears back.
"It's okay…it takes some time." Callie said.
"I think I'm going to head home." Joanne said.
"It's only ten…" Callie stated.
Joanne shrugged, "I know…I just…I'm still a little tired from last night."
"I'll walk with you." Callie suggested.
"You don't have too." Joanne said.
"Well I am." Callie said. "I'll go grab our coats."
After saying bye to everyone, except Maureen who was still occupied with the waitress, Callie and Joanne left for Joanne's apartment.
"You can talk about it if you want." Callie said.
Joanne shook her head. "I'm good."
A cab ride later, the two went upstairs to Joanne's place.
"Do you want to be alone right now?" Callie asked.
"Actually…I'd like it if you stayed." Joanne said. "I could use some company."
The both sat on the couch, and after some time of thinking about Maureen, tears started to silently leak from Joanne's eyes.
"Hey," Callie said, "It's okay. I know it sucks, but if she is going to do that right in front of you after you just recently split up, then she doesn't deserve your tears."
"I know but…" Joanne sobbed, not able to forum a sentence. "I just…I…"
"Miss her." Callie finished for the lawyer, pulling her into a hug.
Joanne only nodded, relaxing into the hug. "Sorry I'm crying."
"It's okay." Callie whispered.
They stayed in a silence for a little bit, until Callie felt like it was time to speak.
"So does Mark always carry that camera with him?" Callie asked with a smirk.
Joanne giggled, "Always."