First, let's not talk about last nights finale. Second, I hope you like this chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter 6: Cats and Couches
My shift is almost over. Thank God. It's been a long day and after the long night I had last night I just want to go home and chill out.
When I got back to the bar last night after dropping Santana off at home, there were still two guys here. It was nearly two am and they were still talking with Sugar. I rolled my eyes before I told them to get out, that we were closing.
They were kind and didn't put up a fight. They got up politely and left without another word. I assumed that they weren't the kind of people that would bitch and complain that we were closing, even if it wasn't quite two yet.
Sugar, however, hadn't started any of the closing or cleaning yet. She told me that she didn't want me to feel left out and that I should be there before we started. How kind of her. Needless to say, we were there until almost three am. And then I had to be back in for my noon shift.
Just a few more minutes and I can go home, my Saturday is over.
The bells above the door chime as it opens.
"Ms. Bartender, get me a drink." I know who it is just from their voice before I even look over towards the doorway.
When I do look up I see her stumbling towards me. "Woah, easy killer." I say as Santana bumps into one of the barstools. Everyone in the bar turns to look at her. "How did you get here?" I ask.
I know for a fact that her car is still in the parking lot from yesterday. I am have specifically looked for it when I came over from my apartment.
She waves her hand around in the air. "There's a party. And my friend. Dropped me off. How cool is that?"
"So, you're in a good mood today?" I venture.
"When am I in bad mood?" She slurs.
I try not to laugh. But it comes out anyway, as a strangled giggle. "Like every time I seen you."
"Oh." She cocks her head to the side. After a few seconds of her staring off into space she taps the bar top with her finger. "Drink."
She is already drunk. I don't have any plan on plying her with anymore alcohol. So it looks like I'll have to go into the diversion tactics.
"So, how did it go last night?" I ask, changing the subject. She crinkles up her face. "After I dropped you off at home?" I elaborate. "With your mom?"
"She bitched at me this morning. Bright and early. Santana, where were you last night? Santana, when did you get in? Santana, you can't go out every weekend and get drunk, you aren't in college anymore. Santana, this is real life. Grow up." She says in this strange voice. I'm guessing it's her best impression of her mother. Or her best drunk impression of her mother.
"Wow." I says and look at the clock on the far wall. 8:02. Sweet. Time to blow this popsicle stand.
"Where's my drink, Ms. Bartender?" She stares up at me, now situated on a barstool.
"Okay, fine." I get a glass and fill it and hand it to her.
She takes a drink without even asking what it is. She nearly spits out the drink when she realizes that it's just water.
"Water?" She yells after she swallows her mouthful.
"Yes. Water." I say and go over to Sugar. "Don't let Santana have any alcohol." I whisper in her ear. She nods. "I'm gonna punch out now." She nods again, too busy in a conversation with somebody to actually say anything back.
Sugar and Jesse should be fine by themselves for the rest of the night. I'd say that there's about 15-20 people in here. A typical Saturday night for a bar like ours. I walk into the kitchen and up to where Will is standing in front of the grill.
"I'm gonna cook something, if that's okay with you?"
"Yeah sure." He says. Like he is going to say no. My parents own the place remember. Free food.
I pull out a bag from the cooler and throw my food in the deep fryer basket and start it cooking. I head into the back room while it's cooking and punch out. My phone has two missed calls, so I pick it up and send out a text. I grab my stuff and go back into the kitchen.
After checking my food I get a basket out and one of those thin papers to line it with. As soon as the food is done I put it in the basket. "See you on Tuesday night." I tell Will as I leave the kitchen.
"See ya, Brittany." He says as I close the door behind me.
I go out the door into the dining room and make my way through. I smile at the two tables of people that are sat down eating their meals. I get back to the bar and set the basket of French fries on the bar and sit down on the stool next to Santana.
She looks at the fries and then at me with that confused look. "What's this?" She asks.
"French fries. Eat"
"Why?" She asks.
"Have you eaten supper yet?" She doesn't answer my question, at first. But, about thirty seconds after I asked, she shakes her head. "Then eat."
She hesitantly starts picking at the fries. She looks at me after she has eaten a few. "What?" I ask. "Not good enough for you?"
She shakes her head. "No ketchup."
I roll my eyes. She's gotta make everything so complicated. I get off the bar stool and go around to the backside of the bar and pull out a bottle of ketchup and mustard that were hidden under the bar. "Here ya go." I say as I put the two bottles in front of her. She smiles up at me like I just gave her the best Christmas present ever. That smile.
I smile at her before going back and sitting down next to her. My eyes fixed on the tv while she eats. She about halfway through and I reach over with my left hand and steal a fry out of her basket.
"Hey." She swats at my hand but misses. I laugh and throw the fry in my mouth. "That's mine." She whines.
"Oh, really? Cuz I just ate one. What are you going to do about it?"
She just stares at me, perplexed. "They're mine." She says and pulls the basket farther away from me.
"Did you pay for them?" I raise an eyebrow at her.
She thinks about my question for a second. "N-no." Her brow scrunching together.
"Exactly." I say and she seems more confused than before. "Just eat." I chuckle.
I pull my phone out of my pocket. There is a new text message. I send a quick reply and check to see how Santana is doing with her French fries. They are almost gone now but it's not the fries that catch my attention. Santana seems to be staring at me or rather my hands, my phone.
"Do you have plans for tonight?" She asks after she catches me catching her. She doesn't seem embarrassed or ashamed that I caught her looking at me. It's probably the alcohol.
"I do." I confirm.
"Oh." Her face drops and her chin tucks to her chest.
"Why?" I ask. She seems disappointed that I have plans.
"Nevermind. It's stupid." She mumbles and turns away from me.
"Hey." I rest my palm on her forearm. "Tell me. I'm sure it's not stupid."
She turns back to me. "I just thought maybe you were working tonight. And I could sit here and you would be there." She nods to a spot behind the bar. "But you're not working- wait are you working still?"
"Nope. All done for the night." I tell her with a small smile.
"Oh, right. Then nevermind. I'll just sit here be myself." She shrugs and goes back to eating her French fries. She looked so disappointed when she said that. So small and sad too. Maybe lonely is a more accurate term to describe her. And I know exactly what to do about it.
She finishes her fries a few minutes later. Out of the corner of my eye I see her look around like she isn't sure what to do. I twist my head around to catch her eye. "All done." She says it so quiet that I almost don't hear it.
"Okay. I have a question for you then." She nods. "Do you have any plans for the night?" She shakes her head. "Do you want to come with me?" I ask. She looks around the bar. I don't know why or what she is looking for. Santana bites her bottom lip between her teeth and gives me a sheepish nod. "Okay, great let's go. I have someone I want to introduce you to."
We both get off our barstools and I take her by the wrist and led her out of the bar.
We got out of the bar and onto the sidewalk before she asks. "Where are we going?"
I turn to her where she walks side by side with me. "You'll see." I can't help but smile at her curiosity.
We walk the rest of the way in silence. When we get to the door, I pull my keys out, and unlock it, and motion for her to enter first. "What is this?" Santana asks as soon as we are inside the door.
We are standing in the entrance of my apartment. My parents bought the building a few years after they bought the bar. The buildings sit on the same block, side by side, with parking lot and lawn in between the two. They divided the building into two apartments. One on the first floor and one on the second, which I live in.
There is a long hallway on the right and stairs to my apartment on the left. At the end of the hallway at the back of the building is a door to the basement.
I lean over and say into her ear. "I live here." I point up the stairs. She nods and starts up the stairs. I follow behind. She makes it up four or five steps before she stumble. Her hands hit the steps in front of her, holding herself up. Her ass in the air, in my face, as I stop behind her. I'm just going say it looks great in those tight black jeans that she is wearing.
I set my right hand on her back and climb a step so that I am next to her. Grabbing each shoulder I help Santana stand up straight. She looks over at me and smiles. "Thanks." She giggles.
"Let's get up the rest of the steps before you thank me." I say.
At the landing at the top of the stairs I unlock my apartment door. I push the door open and let Santana step in before me. Behind her, I step into the apartment and shut the door behind me and then flick the light on.
Lord Tubbington comes running over. Okay, well not running but walking as fast as he possibly can. Every time I come home he greets me at the door and rubs up against my ankles until I pick him up. But today he stops short. Probably because he knows that I'm not alone. He lets out a long meow.
"Holy shit." Santana says as she takes a step backwards. Directly into me. Her back into my front. "What is that?" She has a hand to her chest like Lord Tubbington scared her.
I chuckle. "That's my cat. Here." I gently wrap my hands around her biceps and pushes her to the side so I can step past her. I pick Lord Tubbington up. "This is who I wanted you to meet." I pet Lord Tubbington between the ears as I hold him against my body. "Santana, this is Lord Tubbington."
She looks at the cat and then back to me and then back to the cat. "Are you sure that that's a cat?"
I can't help but laugh. "Yes. I'm positive. Do you want to hold him?" Her eyes go wide and she shakes her head. "Okay." I turn and walk over to the couch. "You coming?" I hear her footsteps behind me a second later.
Once I sit on the couch Lord Tubbington curls up in my lap. Santana eyes me and the couch nervously. "Sit down, silly." I reach for the television remote on the coffee table in front of me. Santana sits down on the opposite end of the couch as me. I don't really know why. We sat side by side at the bar. But know it seems like she is afraid of me or something.
"I thought you had plans tonight?" She asks as I turn on the tv.
"I do." I swing my hand out in a sweeping motion. "This. Here. At home. Watching tv and spending time with Lord Tubbington- and you."
"Oh." She says with a shy smile.
"Do you want something to drink? Water or milk or maybe apple juice?" I offer. I know what she isn't getting. Alcohol. One because I think she has had enough for one day and two because I don't have any in my apartment.
"Water would be nice."
"Okay." I get up and hold Lord Tubbington out for her but she shakes her head so I set him on the middle couch cushion next to her.
In the kitchen I get two glasses and fill one with water and the other I fill halfway with apple juice.
Santana is watching whatever is on the tv when I get back. "Here ya go." I hand her the glass of water.
"Still serving me drinks even though we aren't at the bar."
"It's just in my nature, I guess." I shrug and sit down with my drink. "What do you want to watch?"
I see her turn towards me. "Your askin me? This is your house and you askin me?"
"Well, yeah." I don't see what the problem is. "I don't want to watch something that you hate or can't stand or something like that. You are a guest in my house and I just want to make you feel welcomed." I pet Lord Tubbington idly.
She looks at me like I have two heads. "You're like the nicest person I've ever met."
"Oh, I doubt that." I turn my attention back to the tv.
Santana doesn't say anything in return and I think that's the end of that. But, a few seconds later, I feel her hand on top of mine on top of Lord Tubbington's back. Slowly, I turn to look at her.
"I'm serious." She whispers and squeezes my hand.
"Okay." I nod frantically, like an idiot.
It's quiet for a long time after that. The sound of the tv playing offers the only noise in the room. At some point Lord Tubbington jumps off the couch and wanders over to his bed for the night.
Every once and a while a check on Santana but she is usually eyes forward towards the television. A few times she catches me looking, though, I smile at her and she smiles back before we both go back to watching tv.
It's quiet but not awkward or uncomfortable.
The late local news comes on and I turn to Santana. I said I was going to go to bed early tonight and if I want to stick to that I better go now. However, I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to ask Santana to leave. It's late and she has been drinking. I don't want her mother nagging her again but that sounds like it will happen if she goes home or not.
The decision is made for me though. When I look over Santana is asleep her mouth open slightly and her head resting against the back of the couch. It's cute and it brings a smile to my face. It's kind of alarming, I think. All the things that she does that I think are cute but I can't help it.
I shut the tv off and get up. My mission is to get a blanket and a pillow and bring them back to the couch. When I come back Santana is slumped over a little bit. I shake my head.
I'm not sure how I'm going to go about this but I guess I just have to do it. I put the pillow down on the end of the couch where I was sitting. Next, I go over to Santana and look her up and down for a minute. She's still wearing her tennis shoe so I untie them and pull them off her feet. She grumbles something intelligibly.
I slide my hands up and under her armpits as innocently as possible. I lift her up and lay her down on her back as gently as possible. Her head on the pillow. When I let go she shifts into her side and curls up into a little ball. And again, it's really cute. I grab the blanket and drape it over her. I tuck the back in around her so it doesn't slip off of her and off the couch.
I stand up straight and let out a sigh just looking at the girl sleeping on my couch. I grab the two empty glasses on the coffee table and bring them into the kitchen and put them in the sink. They can wait until tomorrow to be rinsed and cleaned, I don't want to wake Santana.
I go back to the couch to make sure she is still sleeping and she is. I bend at the waist and run a hand through her hair pushing it back away from her face. My lips find her temple and press a kiss to the skin there. "Sleep well." I whisper before standing and leaving the room. I shut the light off and head for my bedroom.