A/N: First off, I'm running on very little sleep from this weekend's trip to Atlanta to see our Bellas...so I'm lucky to still be awake to get this finalized haha. But in all seriousness, I'm EXTREMELY thankful to areaderofmanythings for betaing this and making it better than when it was sent to her!
Secondly, chapter 8 is already halfway done...so hopefully in the next few weeks, you'll get an update of areader's "The Reclusive Music Producer and The Journalist" and the next chapter here. And if you haven't read areader's story...go do yourself a favor and go read it right after you are done here! It's amazing and you won't be disappointed!
Thirdly, there may be a slight gap in between chapter 8 and chapter 9...I've got a trip to California in a few weeks then I'll be having surgery...so I'm going to try to get 8 done before all of that takes place. So please stick with me.
And with that, I'll mention that I haven't gotten that many reviews, so I can't tell if you guys are enjoying the journey I'm taking these two on or not...for those that have reviewed, you have no idea how much they mean to me. I don't like begging for reviews and I can tell people are still reading this because there has yet to be a day when there hasn't been at least 3 people reading...so thanks for everyone taking the time out of their day to read what I'm putting out but I'll never complain about reviews. ;)
Okay, on with the show...and as always, I own nothing but the mistakes you may find!
Chloe gasped, "Are you serious right now Beca!?"
Beca laughed, "Yeah, Dixie Chick serious." She winked and then scratched the back of her neck, she wasn't too sure how Chloe would take this news, "I um, I bought a building just up the street from my new apartment. I flew in Monday evening so that I could finalize all the paperwork on the new studio and the apartment on Tuesday. I moved in on Wednesday and Thursday then spent most of the day talking with the contractors on how to renovate the building from a department store into a recording studio."
Chloe looked confused, "You've been here since Monday?"
Beca laughed and shook her head, "Out of everything I just said, all you heard was that I've been here since Monday? I mentioned that in my speech last night."
"I must have missed that part," Chloe smiled. "Okay, so we'll address that in a moment." She looked intently at Beca, "So, let me get this straight," she said as she closed her eyes and pressed her thumb and pointer finger along the bridge of her nose, "You're opening up a second location of Titanium Productions, in an old department store, down the street from your apartment, here…in New York?"
Chloe opened her eyes when Beca didn't respond right away and was practically leveled with the smirk that was plastered across Beca's face. She shook her head at the younger woman, when Beca started laughing.
"That is correct, I've moved to New York to open a second location for my label," Beca genuinely said.
Chloe just stared at the brunette sitting in front of her. She wasn't sure what to make of the words that just came out of Beca's mouth because she couldn't believe this was really happening. Chloe didn't realize it, but a tear made its way out of an eye and down her cheek.
"Chlo, please don't cry," Beca said as she scooted closer and used the pad of her thumb to wipe away the tear. "This is supposed to be good news, not sad."
Chloe's heart melted in that moment, she couldn't stop the tears from coming down after hearing Beca use her old nickname.
Beca moved even closer and pulled the redhead into an embrace as she cried and ran her fingers through Chloe's hair and kissed the top of her head.
As Chloe began calming down, she pulled out of the embrace and stared at those stormy blue eyes that were laced with concern. She chuckled as she shook her head, "These are happy tears, I promise."
Beca gently smiled, "Okay good, because I want you happy that I'm living here now."
Chloe smiled, she was hoping her next question was going to have the answer she most wanted to hear. She took a deep breath and wiped the remaining moisture from her face, "Why does it matter if I'm happy you're living here?"
Beca blinked at Chloe's question, she couldn't figure out if the redhead was playing with her or if she really didn't know. She reached for Chloe's hand and intertwined her fingers, "Because I was hoping that we could…" she trailed off, staring at their fingers, not sure how to word what she was feeling. "Um, well, I was hoping that at the very least we could be friends, but I was really hoping that we could, I don't know, maybe go out sometime?" She chanced a glance up at the redhead, whose face she couldn't get a read on. "That is," she cleared her throat, "if you aren't seeing anyone."
Chloe couldn't hold the stoic face any longer and a grin broke out splitting her face in two, "Are you asking me out on a date Mitchell?" she asked in a playful tone.
The worry in Beca's mind instantly vanished when she saw the mischievous glint in Chloe's bright blue eyes.
"Maybe," Beca said as a smirk grew, "I mean, I'd have to check my social calendar to see if I could squeeze you in. You know, since I'm famous and everything." With that, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and stuck her nose up in the air. It wasn't until she felt a hand come in contact with her shoulder that she looked at Chloe. Once their eyes met, she busted out laughing, "Yes, Beale, that's exactly what I'm awkwardly trying to do."
Chloe shook her head as her laughter subsided, "Well, Miss Famous Music Producer why don't you actually say the words?"
"Fine…Chloe, would you like to go out on a date with me?" Beca deadpanned.
"Well, since you asked so nicely," Chloe retorted, "We'll see, I just need to check my social calendar."
Beca rolled her eyes at Chloe using her words against her, but as soon as she opened her mouth to speak Chloe interrupted.
"Of course Beca, I'd love to go on a date with you." Chloe responded with a genuine smile on her face.
Beca released the breath she had been holding and returned the smile, "Awesome."
"Now, care to explain why you've been in New York since Monday evening and I didn't know you were here until I saw you walk through the doors to sit down at Lincoln Center last night?"
The day had completely gotten away from the pair as they sat and talked. Chloe felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket and she stood to take it out and saw Jess's text message.
Jess (4:29pm): Just checking to make sure you're still alive and hadn't forgotten me ;)
Chloe chuckled at her friend's comment.
Chloe (4:30pm): Yes, still alive. Sorry, we've been talking and lost track of time. I'm heading back to the apartment shortly!
Chloe put her phone back in her pocket and glanced at Beca as she stood over by the entrance to the pavilion looking out over the lake.
"So, um, that was Jessica," Chloe said as she approached Beca's side. "I need to head back so I can say bye to her before she leaves for the airport."
Beca nodded, "Not a problem. How about we walk back to my place and I'll have James drive you home and then take you and Jessica to the airport? That way you can spend a little more time together?"
Chloe smiled at the offer, "That would be wonderful. So you live around here? Since it's within walking distance?"
"Yeah," Beca chuckled as she took out her phone and started typing a message. She looked up after hitting send and continued, "I actually bought a place in The Dakota, so literally just a few blocks away." She guided Chloe out of the pavilion and onto a path that would take them just across the street from the famous apartment building.
Chloe's mouth hung open for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, "Seriously Beca? The Dakota! How did you score a place in there?"
"I actually got really lucky!" Beca chuckled. "I was looking at The Dakota or a place at San Remo, when my realtor called and said that Bruce Barnes was moving out and asked if I wanted to take his place. So of course I jumped on it. I mean, John Lennon lived in that place! How could I not, ya know?! Fortunately for me, Mr. Barnes is a fan of my work and just so happens to be the president of the co-op board. After speaking with him a few times and submitting a shit ton of paperwork as well as having a background check done, I got the approval to purchase." Beca giddily rambled as they made their way through the edge of Central Park.
Chloe couldn't contain the smile stretching across her face. She has always adored the rambling side of Beca and even though Beca is now a famous music producer, she is happy to see that Beca still rambles like she did all those years ago.
"Yeah, totes!" Chloe chirped, "You couldn't pass up that opportunity!"
The pair walked in comfortable silence until they almost reached the apartment building. As they were waiting to cross Central Park West, Beca saw James pulling to a stop on West 72nd Street.
"Looks like your ride is right on time," Beca said as she motioned to James.
Chloe followed Beca's hand and saw James getting out of the car and standing by the back door waiting for them to cross the street.
"Hey James," Beca greeted the sandy blonde haired man as they approached. "I'd like you to take Chloe to her apartment and hang out in the area until she and her friend are ready to go to the airport. I'd also like you to take Chloe back to her place after she sees her friend off." She instructed.
"Not a problem Miss Mitchell. Do you need anything while I am out?" He inquired.
"Nothing that I can think of, but I'll text you if that changes." Beca said with a gentle smile. "After you drop Chloe off at her place you can take the rest of the weekend off. I don't have any plans to go anywhere that I can't walk to and I know how to use the subway, so your services won't be needed."
Chloe stood to the side and watched the interaction with a smile on her face. She's getting a real glimpse of 'famous' Beca and yet, all Chloe can think about is how much the younger woman hasn't changed from their summer together. She was glad to see that Stacie was right and the fame really hadn't gone to her head.
"Thank you Miss Mitchell, I really do appreciate it!" James smiled at the brunette. "But if something comes up, you know how to reach me."
Beca smiled, "Nothing will come up. So enjoy the rest of your weekend!"
James nodded and then opened the door for Chloe and made his way back to the driver's seat to give the pair some privacy.
"I had a really good time today Chlo," Beca said as she reached for Chloe's hand.
"I did too," Chloe responded as she intertwined her fingers with Beca's. "I look forward to seeing you again…" she trailed off.
"Oh, don't worry about that Beale," Beca said confidently, "we still have that date!" She winked at the redhead and leaned in and pressed a kiss to Chloe's cheek. "Text me after you drop Jessica off and are back home."
"Will do." Chloe then closed the distance between her and Beca and gave the smaller girl a hug that she had held back on for most of the day.
"Hey James," Chloe called from the back seat as they pulled away from LaGuardia Airport.
"Yes Chloe?" He responded as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
"Could take me back to Beca's place instead of mine?" She inquired hopefully.
"If that's what you'd like, I can certainly do that," James replied as he smiled at Chloe through the mirror. "Once we get there, I'll let the guards know that you're Miss Mitchell's welcomed guest and you should be allowed in."
"Guards?" Chloe quirked an eyebrow at that information.
"Yes ma'am, ever since Lennon was shot by some crazed fan, they have guards posted so that no one can get into the courtyard without express permission." James said as he got on the freeway to Queens Blvd to cross the East River.
"Oh," Chloe said softly, "I didn't realize that."
James chuckled, "It really is no problem Chloe, and the guards are familiar with me since I helped Miss Mitchell move into her apartment. I can even take you to her apartment if you would like."
Chloe smiled at the offer, "That'd be great James, thank you."
Just as Chloe got those words out of her mouth, her stomach started to growl. Her eyes shot down to her stomach and she let out a giggle, "Um, before we go to Beca's, think we can pick up some food?"
James glanced back at Chloe and nodded, "I know a great Chinese place that has Miss Mitchell's favorite dishes. We can swing by there and pick up something for both of you. Knowing Miss Mitchell, she's probably forgotten to eat."
"That sounds wonderful, James. Thank you." Chloe responded.
"I can call in the order, if you'd like. That way I can just run in and pick it up and we can continue on our way," James offered with a smile.
Chloe beamed, "That'd be fantastic James! If you would order me a Hunan Chicken with fried rice, I'd greatly appreciate it."
"You got it," James said as he pulled out his phone and dialed the number. A heavy accented woman answered the phone and James proceeded to place their order, including one for himself.
About twenty minutes later, James pulled stopped in front of a small shop with a red awning that read "Empire Szechuan Kyoto" on the front. He parked in the loading zone out front, put on his hazards, and hopped out of the car. He was back within five minutes and handed a large paper bag to Chloe in the back seat and placed the smaller one on the passenger seat.
Two blocks later they were turning onto West 72nd Street and pulling into the loading zone again that was right at the corner of the block. James quickly got out and opened the door for Chloe. Once Chloe was out of the car with their dinner in hand, James motioned for her to follow him and they made their way to the guard standing at the entrance to the courtyard. They spoke a few words and the guard looked at Chloe and then nodded.
James looked back at Chloe and said, "Everything is good to go. Let's get you to Miss Mitchell's apartment and then I'll head out."
Chloe nodded and smiled at the guard as they passed. It was a short walk to get inside the building and then they took the elevator up to the sixth floor. James got off of the elevator and turned in the direction of Beca's apartment, "It's just this way."
"Thank you so much for your assistance James! Beca is lucky to have you!" Chloe beamed at the man who nodded as she continued to follow him.
The pair silently turned a corner and James pointed to a large set of wooden doors.
"The first set of doors should be unlocked, so just open them and knock on the inner set of doors," James instructed. Chloe nodded and thanked the man again then watched him turn and head back towards the elevator.
Once Chloe was in front of the large mahogany-paneled doors, she noticed the intricacy of the woodwork that surrounded and adorned the door. She looked up and saw this magnificently detailed wooden plaque at the top of the doors with the number 84 etched into the center. She stood there a moment and admired the piece before deciding that instead of just opening the doors and knocking on the inner ones, she would text Beca instead.
Chloe (7:41pm): You busy?
Mitchell (7:42pm): Not really…just unpacking …what's up?
Chloe (7:42pm): Nothing much…just wanted to see if you had eaten dinner yet.
Mitchell (7:43pm): Ahh, yeah, no…forgot to do that…
Chloe shook her head at the fact that James had pegged Beca so easily.
Chloe (7:44pm): Thought so…what would you do for some steamed dumplings and crab rangoons?
Mitchell (7:44pm): I'd do just about anything if I could have that for dinner…
Chloe (7:45pm): Anything huh…well pucker up buttercup and go open your door…
Chloe was admiring the details in the woodwork when she heard the click of a door and then almost immediately they were flung open. Chloe held the brown paper bag out in front of her as a disheveled looking Beca yelped in excitement and quickly grabbed the redhead's free arm and pulled her inside the second set of doors.
Without a word, Beca grabbed the bag and turned on her heels and started walking down the hallway. Chloe stood in the same spot and watched the brunette disappear around the corner. Shaking her head at Beca's eagerness she yelled, "You're welcome!" as she kicked off her shoes beside Beca's and made her way towards the direction Beca disappeared.
As soon as Chloe turned the corner, her mouth fell open and her eyes went wide. She had never seen a kitchen this beautiful before. She noticed it had a rustic charm to it and it reminded her of the ranch back home. She stood at the corner of the room trying to take it all in. There were three islands taking up the length of the kitchen, the island to her left appeared to be a prep station with the surface being a large bamboo cutting board, the middle island had two sinks, and the third island had a six burner gas stove. The hardwood floors extended from the hallway through the kitchen and beyond into the rest of the apartment. She glanced around and took in the floor to ceiling wooden doors that lined the right wall, as well as the marble countertops. Chloe loved the feel of the kitchen; it was modern yet still felt like home. She could envision herself spending a lot of time in here cooking with Beca.
When Chloe finally shifted her eyes to Beca, she noticed that Beca was standing at the first of three islands and was pulling out the containers like a kid at Christmas.
"You, Chloe Beale, are my favorite person right now," Beca said as she opened the steamed dumplings container and proceeded to pour the sauce all over them. Next she pulled out the container with the crab rangoons and inhaled deeply.
Chloe laughed, "Well, I guess I need to work on becoming your favorite person all the time then." She shot Beca a wink as she walked up beside her and grabbed her Hunan chicken and friend rice containers.
"I'm pretty sure you won't have to work hard for that title, especially if you keep showing up here surprising me with my favorite food!" Beca exclaimed as she leaned over and kissed Chloe on the cheek.
Beca stopped what she was doing, and looked at Chloe quizzically, "Wait, how did you get up here?"
Chloe chuckled at Beca's expression and the fact that it has taken her a whole 10 minutes to actually realize what Chloe had been able to pull off. She shook her head, "I happen to know a really cute sandy blonde haired man that works for this super-hot music producer and well, he may have used his boss as an excuse to get me past the guards."
Beca laughed, "Remind me to give that man a raise," she stated as she moved to get two beer bottles out of the refrigerator. "Ballast Pointe okay?"
Chloe nodded, "Sure," and looked around, "So umm, where should we..." she trailed off as she held up her food containers.
Beca had been so focused on the food that she hadn't shown Chloe anything about the place. "Oh, yeah, this way," she motioned with her head behind her, "we'll eat in the den." She proceeded to walk around the glass wall behind the third island and Chloe followed, "I'll give you a proper tour after we eat."
This room was just as stunning as the kitchen, it had the same heavy plaster molding as the kitchen and hallway. The back wall was lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves that had with a window between the two. The bookshelf to the left wrapped around one wall and then onto a second one. Each shelf was full, but Chloe noticed that there were still boxes in front of the shelves. The room was furnished with an oversized leather sectional couch, a large glass top coffee table sat in front of the couch and an oversized leather armchair was placed in the corner of a bookcase. There was also a fireplace on the wall to the right and Chloe noticed that there was a flat panel TV mounted above the mantle. The room had an old school smoking room vibe to it with a thick rug laying in the middle of the room and under the couch and was so soft under Chloe's feet.
Beca sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table and placed the beers on coasters in front of her. She slid one toward Chloe as she took a seat beside Beca. Once situated, she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV and adjusted the volume to where it could be used for background noise.
"I am so not complaining," Beca said as she finished chewing a dumpling, "but what are you doing here?"
Chloe looked at Beca and smiled, "I mean, I can leave if you want?"
Beca shook her head vigorously, "No, no, I'm really glad you're here. I just thought that you were going to head back to your apartment after dropping Jessica off at the airport."
"That was the initial plan, but then I realized something," Chloe said as she took a bite of her food. Once she swallowed and took a sip of her beer, she glanced over at Beca, chop sticks hovering over a dumpling, patiently waiting for her to finish. "I realized that we now live in the same city and that I could drop by and surprise you, if I wanted to. So I did." She shrugged and felt a blush creep up on her neck.
Beca smiled, "You're more than welcome here any time you want, Chloe. Mi casa es tu casa."
Chloe almost choked on the food in her mouth as she laughed, "When the hell did you learn Spanish?"
Beca rolled her eyes, "Yeah, don't get used to it. That is like the only phrase I know." She shrugged as she popped another dumpling in her mouth.
The pair continued to eat as they talked about random things. Once they finished, Chloe stood up and began to clear away the empty food containers.
"You don't have to do that," Beca said as she placed her hand on Chloe's wrist.
"I know, but it'll give me a chance to snoop," Chloe threw a wink at Beca and turned to head back into the kitchen.
"The trash can is in the fourth door on the left before you get to the dining room doorway," Beca called as Chloe entered the kitchen. She giggled as she saw Chloe silently counting to herself as she moved past each door.
Chloe placed the food containers on the edge of the middle island and opened the wooden bi-fold doors to reveal, not only a trashcan, but a cabinet full of cleaning supplies. "You said you've only been in this place since Wednesday, right?" Chloe called over her shoulder.
Beca finished her beer and stood to walk into the kitchen, "Yeah, why?"
"How the hell is this place so furnished and stocked when you've barely been here?" Chloe inquired as she dumped the food containers into the trashcan.
Beca laughed as she moved beside Chloe to throw the beer bottle into the recycle bin, "Well, a lot of this stuff was left by Mr. Barnes, he said he was only taking the things they used. They apparently are 'down-sizing'," Beca said using air quotes.
Chloe hummed at the response and then turned to Beca, "Okay, miss fancy pants producer…" she trailed off as she ran her finger along Beca's collarbone and down the buttons of her plaid shirt, "show me around this McMansion."
Beca smiled her lopsided smile and grabbed Chloe's hand, "Sure, follow me we're starting at the beginning."
Once they were back at the glass doors, Beca opened them and went out to shut the large wooden ones, "I don't know why there are two sets of doors; it's a bitch to maneuver with shit in your hands." She shook her head as Chloe giggled.
"Okay so, this," Beca pointed to the fireplace in the corner, "is one of eight wood burning fireplaces in this joint. And through here," she turned to open the pocket doors, "is the library. I think I'm going to use it more for a music room than anything, especially since the built in bookcases are in the den."
Chloe noticed that there was already a baby grand piano set up in the corner by the fireplace. Walking over to the mantle she ran her fingers along another set of intricate woodworking along the underside.
"Do you play?" Chloe asked as she pointed to the piano.
"Some," Beca said as she walked up to Chloe. "I used to play with my mom, but never had the space to have one when I was in Georgia and I was never home when I lived in LA, so I didn't get one. Luckily for me, Mr. Barnes didn't want it so all I need to do is get it tuned so I can knock the rust off."
Chloe nodded and turned to take in the rest of the room. There was an area rug in the middle of the room with some very sturdy looking wooden furniture. This room didn't seem nearly as comfortable as the den and she noticed there were 4 guitars lined against the far wall, two acoustic, an electric, and what appeared to be an electric/acoustic guitar.
"I didn't realize you had so many guitars." Chloe said as she walked towards the instruments.
"Well, I didn't when we were together, I bought the other three while I was out in LA." Beca said as she moved back towards the door. "Ready to see the rest? We still have seven more rooms."
"Totes! Lead the way!" Chloe chirped as she turned to catch up with Beca.
The pair had made their way through the formal living room, the dining room, the hall bathroom, guest bedroom, and guest bathroom before Beca came to a stop at a little nook with a closed door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and turned to Chloe, "And this…" she chuckled, "is where the magic happens."
Chloe full on belly laughed at her words. "Oh, I didn't realize we were filming Cribs up in here."
Beca rolled her eyes with a laugh, "I'm glad to see you got the reference."
"I'm surprised you watched that show to know the reference," Chloe retorted as her laughter subsided.
"Touché, but it was on MTV, so I dealt with the shows to hear the music," came Beca's response as she turned and opened the master bedroom door. "Okay, so this is where I'll probably spend a lot of my time."
Chloe made her way past Beca and let out a low whistle as she walked towards the floor to ceiling inset windows. She had never seen windows that were set about three feet into the wall, she walked to the middle window and realized there was a small balcony just outside.
"How do you get out there?" Chloe asked as she turned towards Beca.
Beca moved to the window to Chloe's right and pushed open the glass door, "Right this way."
Chloe walked around and followed Beca out onto the balcony and gasped at the sight in front of her. There, just across the street, was Central Park. They had to be 100 feet above the park so this balcony afforded them a view of the whole thing. Chloe just stood there and gawked at the sight.
"Breathtaking huh?" Beca said into Chloe's ear.
Chloe was so mesmerized by the view that she didn't realize that Beca had come up behind her and wrapped her arms around the taller woman's waist. Chloe closed her hands around Beca's and leaned back into the embrace.
"It is gorgeous, there's no denying it." Chloe said in a hushed whisper, afraid to speak any louder to break the bubble they just created.
Beca leaned up and kissed Chloe just below her right ear and smiled as she rested her chin on the redhead's shoulder. "There is still more to see, inside," Beca said playfully as she stepped away from Chloe.
Chloe turned and silently followed Beca back into the master bedroom and saw Beca had veered to the left of the room and stopped at another set of pocket doors.
"Ready?" Beca asked as Chloe made her way behind her.
Chloe hummed an affirmative and Beca slid open the doors. She moved straight ahead into one of the most beautiful bathrooms Chloe had ever been in. It wasn't vast by any stretch of the imagination, but this was no tiny bathroom either. Chloe looked around and turned to Beca with her mouth agape when she saw the shower.
Beca laughed, "Yeah, that thing is massive!"
Chloe noticed that there was also a double vanity that butted up against the shower stall, it was black onyx and the detailing in it was magnificent. She walked over to the shower and slid the large glass wall open and stepped inside. "Holy shit Beca! You could have a party in here!" She exclaimed as she walked around the stall that took up the whole back wall of the bathroom.
Beca laughed as she walked into the shower stall with Chloe. "Yeah, and did you notice…" she looked up then moved to the wall and pointed, "there are five total shower heads in here."
Chloe looked up and sure enough, there were two antique rain showerheads above them and three more coming out of the wall. Chloe was speechless, as she looked around, she noticed that there was also detailed black onyx on the wall as well. She ran her fingers over the work, "Beca this is the most amazing bathroom I've ever seen!"
"It's pretty spectacular," Beca admitted, "But it isn't my favorite room. That's the last room I wanted to show you." Beca grabbed Chloe's hand and lead her out of the shower and out the bathroom. She immediately turned to her right and pushed open a door.
"This," Beca said as she motioned around the room, "is what will be my studio." Her face was split with the grin that ran from ear to ear up to her eyes. "Mr. Barnes said that the whole building was soundproof and fireproof because they used mud from Central Park between the layers of brick in the floors and walls. Apparently the guy that built the building back in the late 19th century didn't want to have to deal with fire escapes, so that was his solution."
"Interesting," Chloe said as she walked around the practically empty room, again noticing the intricate woodwork details on the fireplace. "So, what all will be in here when you have it complete?" She inquired.
"Well, I'll probably buy a smaller version of the sound board that I'll have in the studio, and a few other boards that I'll need. Basically, this minus the recording booth will be a mini studio, and I'll be the only one working in here." Beca laughed, "This room will serve as my 'I don't want to deal with anyone today' room. Or if there is something that has to get done ASAP, I can bring it home and work on it until it's done and I won't have to worry about taking up studio time from those recording."
Chloe hummed thoughtfully, "Gotcha. Well it seems you have a great set up here Beca. I'm so happy for you." She made her way across the room to the short brunette and wrapped her into a hug. "I'm glad that you're here." She sincerely whispered into Beca's ear.
Beca didn't hesitate to return the hug, "Me too Beale, me too."
The pair walked out of the studio and back through the master bedroom and made their way back to the kitchen where Beca made a bee line for the fridge, "Do you want another beer?"
Chloe pulled out her phone to look at the time, "I probably should be heading back to my apartment, I left Billie there alone and she'll need to go out soon."
"Oh, okay." Beca frowned slightly, "Do you want me to call James and have him take you home?"
Chloe shook her head, "No, you gave him the rest of the weekend off, don't bother him. Plus, there's a subway station literally across the street. I'll be fine using that."
Beca nodded, "Okay well at least let me walk you down. I'm going to need to talk to Kyle to make sure you don't ever have any issues getting up here when you come by."
"That sounds great," Chloe smiled as they made their way towards the door to get their shoes.
"Okay Miss Beale," Xavier said as he walked through Chloe's classroom doors, "we all spent the weekend wondering what happened Friday night."
Chloe chuckled at the young man's greeting, "Take your seat Xavier and I'll fill everyone in once we're all here."
After the class had all settled into their seats, every single eye was fixated on their redheaded teacher.
The check, plaque and card hadn't been delivered to the school yet, so Chloe decided that even though the proof of their win wasn't there, she wouldn't string the class along any further.
"Alright gang," Chloe began as she made her way to the front of the room, "before we get started, we need to talk about Friday night. Now, I want to say first and foremost that I'm very proud of the work each and every one of you put in to make that song as amazing as it was…" she paused.
"Are you about to add a 'but' in there?" Will piped up impatiently.
Chloe laughed and shook her head, "No, no 'buts' today. You guys were an intricate part of the outcome on Friday night and I just wanted to say thank you before I told you we won." She stated nonchalantly.
"Wait…hold on…" Oliver said as he stood up, "Did you just say that we won?" his voice steadily increasing.
The grin on Chloe's face reached her eyes as she nodded and looked out at her class, "Yes, that's exactly what I said. Guys! We got the grant! We can now work towards going out and actually performing next year!" she squealed.
The class let out a collective cheer of excitement and they were too busy bouncing in their chairs and high fiving each other that they almost missed the knock at the door.
"Um, Miss Beale," came the secretary's voice as she peeked around the partially opened door, "there's someone here with a delivery for you."
Chloe turned her attention from the excited class to the door, "Thank you Miss Singletary." She turned back to the class, "That's perfect timing, it should be the grant check and plaque."
Just as Chloe informed the class, she turned to see none other than Beca Mitchell walking into her classroom with a shit eating grin on her face.
"Beca!" Chloe exclaimed as she quickly moved towards the music producer, "What are you doing here?"
"Holy crap!" Lindsay whaled, "It's THE Beca Mitchell!"
Chloe's attention was diverted from the brunette to her class with a stern look on her face.
"Oh, come on Miss Beale," Lindsay groaned, "it isn't every day that a famous music producer walks into your class holding a giant cardboard thing." She waved her hand towards the small brunette standing just inside the door as she plopped back down in her chair still unable to take her eyes off of their visitor.
Chloe laughed, "I guess not." Turning attention back to Beca, she reiterated, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, you were told that your check, plaque and card would be delivered today, so here I am, delivering them," Beca said as she awkwardly held up the items.
"But I thought they would have some delivery person bring them, I didn't expect you to do it personally," Chloe said as she took them items from Beca.
The pair were brought out of their conversation when they heard a throat clear from somewhere in the room. Chloe turned and realized that she had completely forgotten about her class.
"Sorry guys," Chloe said as she looked between Beca and the students. "Okay, so I guess I should start from the beginning, huh?"
The class all nodded their heads with a few "pleases" thrown out.
"Do you have time to stay or do you need to get going?" Chloe asked Beca.
"I don't have any plans the rest of the afternoon, so I can stay, if you want me to," Beca said as Chloe shut the classroom door.
"Okay, yes, please stay," Chloe said as she made her way to the front of the room. Beca followed her and stood beside the redhead.
"Alright," Chloe turned her attention back to the class, "where were we?"
Xavier spoke up, "You had just told us that we won the grant."
"Right, yes," Chloe nodded, "Let's go back some and I'll fill you in on everything. Okay, so as you know, we submitted Falling for the Jennifer Davis Foundation for Music – New Program grant. Well, Miss Mitchell here," she motioned to Beca, "is the founder of that grant."
Beca awkwardly smiled and waved at the class as Chloe shook her head and smiled at the younger woman.
"Wait a second," Oliver interrupted, "when Miss Mitchell walked in, you immediately called her Beca…"
Chloe shook her head and heard Beca let out a small laugh, "You're right, I did call her Beca because that's her name."
Oliver wasn't going to let it go, "Yeah, but, you said it like you know her."
Chloe took a deep breath and turned her head towards Beca who gave her a silent nod and began to speak, "That is because she does know me," she turned towards the class. "Miss Beale and I met a few years ago when I spent the summer working on her father's ranch."
"Miss Beale!" Lindsay exclaimed, "You never told us you knew someone famous!"
Chloe laughed and Beca spoke up, "Well, we sort of lost touch after I started college and Miss Beale came here to teach."
"So you're who…" Will started to speak but stopped mid-sentence. He looked over the pair and glanced toward Oliver as the dots started to connect. "Miss Beale, is this who you wrote Falling about?"
Chloe's eyes went wide and her head snapped towards Beca, whose mouth was agape at the question. In all of the catching up that they did over the weekend, the subject of the song was never brought up.
"Oh, umm…" Chloe stammered looking between Beca's confused face and the realization dawning on her students' faces. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and nodded, "Yes, I wrote Falling with regards to Miss Mitchell." She opened her eyes and caught the stormy blues of Beca's and she softly smiled at the brunette then turned her attention back to the class.
"Now, I want to make something clear," Chloe began, "When I submitted our song for the grant, I had no idea who was behind it."
Beca nodded and chimed in, "And throughout the selection process, I hired a committee to narrow down the submissions to the final three. All I received was a thumb drive with three song titles on it and nothing more. I didn't want to know who the submissions were from, I wanted to base my decision on the product alone."
Chloe nodded, "It wasn't until Miss Mitchell opened up the envelope with this card in it," she held up the card, "that she knew who she had chosen."
Beca laughed, "Yeah, and I nearly fell over when I saw that it was Miss Beale I had picked."
The class joined in the laughter at the music producer's words.
"I didn't know Miss Beale could sing," Beca continued, "it wasn't something that came up during the summer that we hung out. So, when I heard your submission, Miss Beale never crossed my mind."
"That's so ironic," Lindsay laughed, "that you would pick a song to win your grant and it ended up being a song written about you."
"Yeah," Beca agreed, "that is pretty ironic." She looked at Chloe and then back to the class, "I mentioned in my speech Friday night that I picked the song that spoke to me the most and I guess it was the Universe's way of bringing Miss Beale back into my life."
Chloe smiled at Beca and noticed a faint blush starting to creep up her neck. She turned her attention back to the class, "Yes, we all got pretty lucky that things worked out the way they did."
The pair talked to the class for a little while longer and the next thing they knew, their time was over.
"Okay gang, we'll hit the ground running tomorrow and start picking songs, talking about arrangements and discussing a performance. Have a great rest of the day." Chloe opened the door to allow the students to file out.
Once the classroom was clear, Chloe turned and saw Beca had moved towards the back of the room and was looking around. She cleared her throat to get the smaller girl's attention, Beca turned and a smile was playing at the edge of her lips.
"Soooo," Beca dragged out, "you wrote the song about me huh?" She made her way through the chairs towards Chloe standing at the front of the room.
Chloe could feel her cheeks turning red and she looked down trying to hide the blush. She nodded and she felt Beca's hands take residence on her hips.
"I'm honored, Miss Beale," Beca said earnestly. "No one has ever done anything like that for me before. And it is funny because I'm pretty sure you never meant for me to hear it."
Chloe looked at Beca as her hands made their way around the smaller woman's neck, "Honestly, I didn't think you'd ever hear it. But I'm okay that you did."
"Yeah?" Beca quietly asked.
"Yeah," Chloe whispered as she slightly leaned in towards Beca.
Beca's eyes darted between Chloe's and then down to her lips. She looked back into Chloe's eyes and waited to see if there was any hesitation. When she didn't see any, she closed the distance and pressed her lips to Chloe's.
Chloe practically melted into the touch of Beca's soft lips to hers. She brought her hands from around Beca's neck and placed them on the younger woman's cheeks and held her gently in place. Chloe swiped her tongue over Beca's bottom lip and Beca immediately granted her entrance. Chloe let out a soft whimper when their tongues fell back into the dance they had grown accustom to during their time together. It was like no time had passed between them as they kissed and she had missed it so much.
Beca brought the kiss to a conclusion and placed a quick peck on Chloe's lips, and then a smirk made its way across her face, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."
Chloe chuckled, "I'm pretty sure I could give you a run for your money." She winked and leaned in to kiss the brunette again.
"Well, I guess I should probably get going," Beca said as she removed her hands from Chloe's hips. "I'm glad I was able to stop by today."
"Me too," Chloe said. "Text me later?"
"Will do," Beca moved towards the door and made her way out.
Once the door shut, Chloe sat down on the corner of her desk, lips still tingling from the kiss, she couldn't help the smile slipping across her face as her hands traced over her bottom lip.
Hot Producer (4:13pm): What are you doing right now?
Chloe (4:13pm): Um…standing in front of school…why?
Hot Producer (4:14pm): Just curious…did you know that blue is my favorite color on you?
Chloe looked down at the blue blouse she had on and her head immediately popped up and looked around.
Hot Producer (4:14pm): Stop looking for me ;)
Chloe (4:15pm): What the hell is going on?
Hot Producer (4:16pm): Nothing is going on…I just wanted to let you know that you look amazing today.
Chloe looked around and could not see Beca anywhere, so she started to get frustrated.
Chloe (4:17pm): Where are you?
Hot Producer (4:17pm): Just grabbing a coffee…look to your right…
Chloe's head immediately whipped to the right and sure enough, there stood Beca about a block away. She started to make her way over, when she noticed that the brunette was heading her way as well. She stopped at the corner and waited for a car to pass before she walked across W 122nd Street and met Beca in front of the bus station.
"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked as she wrapped the younger woman in a hug.
"Well, I knew that you were going to be done with work soon after I left your class, so I just hung around." Beca shrugged releasing her grip on Chloe. "I decided to go for a walk around the park and went to see the General Grant National Memorial thing. Figured I'd kill some time while I waited for you."
"You waited for me?" Chloe asked as if she couldn't believe Beca would do that.
"Of course I did," Beca said with a smile. "I was hoping that we could hang out tonight."
Chloe couldn't contain the smile crossing her face, "I think we can arrange that," she responded playfully.
"Let me text James and I'll have him swing around to get us," Beca said as she pulled out her phone. Once she was done with the text, she put her phone in her back pocket and turned towards the redhead. "I have a surprise for you, so we'll need to go to both of our apartments so that we can change."
"Change?" Chloe asked and saw Beca nod in response. "Um, okay? Well, can we go to mine first so I can let Billie out?"
"Yeah sure, that's no problem," Beca said as James pulled to a stop beside the curb. Beca reached over and opened the back door for Chloe to get in.
Once the pair settled into their seats, Beca instructed James to drop them off at Chloe's apartment. It was about a 20 minute drive to Chloe's place and once they arrived, Beca asked James to wait.
As they waited for the elevator, Chloe turned to Beca, "Now, my place is nowhere near as nice as yours."
Beca looked at Chloe, "I don't care what your apartment looks like or how big or small it is. You know that stuff doesn't matter to me." She gently took Chloe's hand in hers and intertwined their fingers. Bringing Chloe's hand to her mouth she gave it a quick kiss as the elevator doors opened.
They silently made their way to Chloe's apartment while never letting go of the other's hand. As soon as Chloe opened the door, Billie started barking and wiggling around in her crate, her tail wagging wildly.
"Oh now that has to be the cutest pup, I've ever seen," Beca cooed as she walked over and bent down to open the crate and rub Billie's head.
Chloe smiled at Beca's reaction to the dog. "Yeah, she's pretty special," she called as she walked towards her bedroom. "Give me a few minutes to grab a quick shower and then I'll take her for a walk."
"How about I walk her while you shower, that way you don't have to worry about it?" Beca asked as she moved into the living room to pick up Billie's harness and leash from the coffee table.
"If you are sure?" Chloe said as she came back to the end of the hall.
"Yeah, it'll give me a chance to bond with her," Beca winked as she got Billie situated in the harness.
Chloe smiled at Beca as she turned to head back into her bedroom to shower and change.
Once Chloe was finished in the shower, she laid out a light blue sundress and started working on her hair and makeup. She had no clue where Beca was planning on taking her but she was excited because she hadn't been back in Beca's life for more than three nights and it was like things were falling back into place for them. Chloe didn't know if she should be excited or scared. She really wanted things with Beca to go back to how they were, but three years is a long time to just fall back into the same routine. They both were different people, yet, Chloe felt like no time had passed when she was with Beca.
Once Chloe was dressed and ready to go, she made her way back out into the living room. She looked around, but the place was empty. "Wonder where those two went off to." Chloe said as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She started back towards the living room when the door flew open. She quickly turned on her heels to see a red faced Beca standing in the doorway looking flustered.
Chloe couldn't help but laugh, "What is going on?" she asked in a playful yet curious tone.
"Well," Beca bent down to undo Billie's harness, "seems like someone doesn't like going up in the elevator," she huffed. "Instead, she had me chasing her up seven flights of stairs because apparently she thought it was fun."
Chloe giggled as she walked up to the out of breath woman and handed her the water bottle, "Here, that will help."
"Thanks," Beca mumbled before finishing off the rest of the water in a few gulps.
"I guess I should have warned you," Chloe said as she grabbed another bottle out of the fridge. "We usually run up the stairs after going for a walk."
"Whyyyy," groaned Beca, "there's a perfectly good elevator that doesn't try to kill you two floors up!"
Chloe couldn't contain her laughter, "But you don't get your heart rate going by standing still in an elevator," she winked as she passed the bottle to Beca.
"I can think of better ways to get the heart going," Beca grumbled into the water bottle.
"What was that?" Chloe asked, knowing good and well what Beca had just said.
"Nothing," Beca said as she passed the bottle back to Chloe. "You ready to go?"
Chloe nodded and went to put Billie back in her crate.
"Where are we going?" Chloe asked as James drove them through Times Square and down 7th Avenue.
"You always want to know before we get there, Beale. You realize that don't you?" Beca asked as she playfully rolled her eyes. "Just let it be a surprise."
Chloe huffed, "Fine." She crossed her arms over her chest and playfully pouted.
"Oh come on," Beca shook her head, "don't you dare pull out the pout, we're almost there."
James took a right onto 43rd Street and circled around the block until he pulled up in front of the Majestic Theater and got out and opened the door. Beca stepped out of the car and extended her hand to help Chloe out. Once they were standing on the street, Chloe looked at Beca and then to the intricate awning of the theater and back to Beca.
"You're taking me to the Phantom of the Opera?" Chloe squealed.
Beca laughed and shook her head, "Umm, no?" She took Chloe's hand and turned her around, "I'm taking you for pizza." She chuckled pointing to a small building with "John's Pizzeria" above the windows.
"Oh," Chloe said, trying to hide the hint of disappointment in her voice.
Beca noticed the change in Chloe's demeanor, "I don't have tickets for Phantom tonight, but if you want to see it, I'm sure I can make it happen." She said trying to get the older woman to smile.
Chloe shook her head, "No, it's fine, it's just my favorite play and…" she trailed off. "Really, it's fine. We'll go see it eventually."
Chloe leaned down and kissed Beca's cheek as Beca opened the restaurant door for Chloe. The pair silently walked down the small hall towards the hostess stand.
"Two please," Beca requested when they made it to the front of the line.
"Right this way," the male host instructed and the pair followed.
As they walked through the restaurant, Chloe realized that this wasn't a typical restaurant. The circular stained glass domed ceiling, the magnificent chandeliers that hung from the ceiling, and the large mural that was painted along the back wall all made her wonder what this place was before it was a restaurant.
The waiter took them up a set of stairs in the middle of the dining area onto a balcony and sat them at a table near the railing, Chloe saw they were sitting almost directly in the middle of the restaurant and she could see the two pizza stations in the corners of the far wall, bookending the mural.
"Beca this place is beautiful," Chloe said as Beca held out the chair for her to sit.
"Yeah, I've heard great things about the food here," Beca said taking her seat.
"Do you have any idea what this place was before it was John's?" Chloe asked as she opened up her menu.
Beca shook her head and flipped over the menu, "Based on this," she pointed to the story on the back page, "it used to be a church."
Chloe flipped her menu over and started reading, "That's so cool," she said as she went back to looking for something to eat.
Eventually the waiter came and took their drink orders and gave them recommendations on what he enjoyed and they ended up deciding to to try the small Pizza Bianca with chicken and spinach. As they waited on their food, they idly chatted.
Once the pizza arrived, Chloe's mouth started to water, "This looks so delicious," she praised as she took a slice off of the serving plate.
"Like I said, I've heard great things about this place," Beca picked up a slice of pizza and placed it on her plate.
Chloe couldn't contain the slight moan that came from deep within her as she took her first bite, Beca's eyes shot up to the redhead as a familiar feeling started settling in her stomach.
"That good huh, Beale?" Beca playfully winked as a blush crept up Chloe's neck.
"Oh my god, I can't believe I just made that sound over pizza," Chloe stammered.
Beca laughed, "It's okay, it is really good pie." She winked again and went back to her slice.
Once the pair had finished off the six slices and two glasses of wine each, Beca looked at her phone and realized that they needed to head out. She got the waiters attention and requested the check. After paying the bill, she stood and reached out her hand.
"We have somewhere to be in about thirty minutes, shall we go for a walk?" Beca asked as she helped Chloe out of her chair.
"Sure," Chloe said as she intertwined their fingers and they walked down the stairs and out of the restaurant.
Once they made it outside, Beca steered them to the left towards 8th Avenue. They crossed the street and when they made it to 45th Street, where Beca turned them to the right.
Chloe was in awe of the theaters that were on the block and she pulled Beca to a stop, just past the Golden Theater. Beca turned and looked at her curiously as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Beca? Where are we going?" Chloe inquired as the realization hit that they were about to go see a Broadway play.
Beca smiled and turned to look further down the block, she raised her hand and pointed, "There."
Chloe couldn't tell which play she was pointing to, so she started walking again. Once they made it about halfway down the block, Beca turned her head to the right and saw that there were no cars coming, so she pulled Chloe across the street.
Chloe squealed as they came to a stop just beside the golden marquee of the Music Box Theater, "You got us tickets to see Dear Evan Hansen?! I thought this thing was sold out!"
Beca chuckled as she pulled the redhead towards the golden doors, "I may have pulled a few strings," she smiled that lopsided smile that made Chloe's insides turn to mush as she held the door open.
They walked in and past a grand piano that sat across from a set of stairs that lead up. Beca took Chloe's hand and guided her up the stairs and to the left. Once they reached the top of the stairs, they made their way towards a set of doors and they approached a ticket taker. Beca showed her their tickets and the lady checked to make sure they were in the right place then handed both ladies a play bill and opened the wooden doors, "You'll be the only ones in here tonight, so please feel free to sit anywhere you'd like." She instructed as she held the door open.
Beca quietly thanked her as they passed by. Once the doors where shut, Beca noticed that Chloe had barely moved from her spot just inside the doorway.
"What's wrong?" Beca inquired as she walked back towards the redhead.
Chloe shook her head, realizing they were in a semi-circular balcony just off to the left of the stage. "Nothing," she breathed, "it's just this place is so amazing." She looked around at the ancient Greek feeling of the theater, took in the deep rich red of the velvet curtain that covered the stage, and she looked at the number of lights that were pointing to the stage. It was all so overwhelmingly beautiful.
Chloe turned to Beca and Beca could see the glistening of her eyes, "This place is beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as you are," she whispered as she leaned up to place a gentle kiss on Chloe's lips.
The pair stood there for a moment lost in each other's eyes and then the lights blinked, indicating that the performance was about to start. They made their way to the chairs at the front of the balcony and settled in. Chloe intertwining their hands once more as the lights went down and the curtain opened.
"Wow," Beca said as they made their way out of the theater, "that was even better than the reviews!"
Chloe hummed in agreement, "The lead, what's his name? Ben? He was amazing. If he isn't nominated for a Tony, then no one should be."
Beca nodded her head in agreement, "Hey, do you feel like dessert?" She asked as she looked up the street.
Chloe followed her line of sight and a grin settled on her face, "Only if you are talking about going to Junior's," she said pointing towards the bright red letters that were lit up in the dark.
"That's just what I had in mind," Beca said as they made their way down the street.
When the pair made it to the restaurant, Beca walked passed the orange and white striped awning that lead into the restaurant and headed towards the smaller area that held the bakery. Once the glass doors were open, the aroma of sweets filled her nostrils; she took a deep breath and motioned for Chloe to enter. They stood in front of the glass cases that housed a multitude of sweet treats and Beca's eyes immediately landed on the red velvet cheesecakes on the second shelf.
Chloe's eyes had landed on the plain ones on the third shelf just down from where Beca stood. Then she found the ones with strawberries on them just under the one Beca was looking at. She moved to stand beside Beca and immediately held her hand.
A young girl walked over to them, "May I help you?" she asked as she looked between Beca and Chloe. Beca nodded for Chloe to go first.
"I'll just have a plain cheese cake with strawberries please," Chloe asked as she pointed to her dessert of choice. The girl nodded and grabbed a container off of the shelf and handed it to Chloe.
"And for you," she asked turning towards Beca.
"I'll have the red velvet cheesecake," Beca said as she also pointing to the case. The girl grabbed the cheesecake for Beca and handed over the container then walked towards the register and rang up the order.
Beca went to pay for the desserts, but Chloe put a hand on her forearm, "I'm paying for this," she said as Beca opened her mouth to protest, Chloe shushed her and handed the girl a twenty dollar bill. When she received her change, Chloe asked for forks.
They made their way out of the small bakery and found an empty table in the seating area outside.
"Thank you for tonight," Chloe said as she popped the lid of her container.
"You're welcome," Beca said as she dug into her cheesecake.
They both ate in silence for a few minutes, watching the people passing by and stealing glances at one another.
Chloe broke the silence, "Beca," she said as she placed her fork down on the open lid of her container. "What are we doing?"
Beca quirked an eyebrow at the redhead and when she saw the serious look on Chloe's face, she placed her fork down as well.
Taking a deep breath Beca let it out slowly, "I don't know," she answered honestly.
"I just…I don't know," Beca repeated as she looked up from her half eaten dessert. When her eyes met Chloe's bright blue one's suddenly laced in concern, she struggled to find words. "I mean, I know what I want for us to be doing," she paused as she heard Chloe chuckle. "Okay pervert, get your mind out of the gutter," she playfully stated. "I mean, I'd be fine with that too, but that isn't what I'm talking about," she shook her head.
"Then what would you like for us to be doing?" Chloe asked, knowing what she was silently praying would be Beca's response.
Beca looked down at her dessert then back up to Chloe, "I…" she trailed off and let out a huff of air, "Ugh, do you…" she tried again.
Beca shook her head, it was like her brain ceased to function sometimes around Chloe. Here they are sitting in an outside patio space just a block off of Times Square having dessert after a wonderful evening and Beca couldn't for the life of her form any coherent sentences.
Chloe sat patiently across from Beca as she struggled with getting her thoughts in order and Beca was thankful for that. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; she figured she might as well just go for it and see how things played out.
"It's weird," Beca began, eyes still closed, "we spent a little over three months together three years ago and we've spent more time apart than we did together."
Beca opened her eyes and looked at Chloe in time to see a nod of acknowledgement come from the redhead.
"Yet, here we are, only three days of physically being back in each other's lives and it's like no time has passed between us. You still feel normal and right," Beca said as she glanced around, noting that Chloe was again nodding in agreement yet she remained silent.
"I never stopped thinking about you, Chlo," Beca's eyes locked onto Chloe's, "Every single day; you were the first thing that I thought about when I woke up and the last thing I thought about before I fell asleep." She chuckled, "I know that sounds creepy as fuck, but it's the truth."
Chloe couldn't help but giggle at Beca's words, "It isn't creepy because that's basically how I have been since the day I watched you drive away."
"Really?" Beca genuinely asked.
"Yeah, Beca," Chloe said, "you became such a part of me that summer that when you left, you took a piece of me with you and it wasn't until Friday night that I started to feel whole again."
Beca smiled and reached across the table and intertwined their fingers. "You asked me what we're doing and I know I haven't answered that question yet," she said as she looked at their hands as her thumb stroking the side of Chloe's finger. "But I'm hoping that we just went on our first of many dates."
Chloe took in a deep breath and smiled, "I hope so too," she said as she exhaled.
"So, Chloe Beale," Beca said with a playful glint in her eye and a grin threatening to split her face in two, "will you be my girlfriend?"
Chloe released her hand from Beca and stood up from her seat. She walked over to Beca and leaned down and took Beca's face into her hand, "There's nothing I want more than to be your girlfriend, it's what I've wanted since meeting you back in Georgia, but our timing was just off then and now it's not," she whispered before placing a searing kiss on Beca's lips.
When the kiss came to its natural end, Chloe stood up and walked back to her seat and began eating her cheesecake.
"Damn," was all Beca could say as she picked up her fork as well.
Once they finished their desserts, Beca pulled out her phone and texted James that they were ready to be picked up.
"So, it's getting pretty late," Beca said as she placed the phone back in her pocket, "I'll have James take you back to your place.
"Oh, okay," Chloe said as she placed her fork in her container and closed the lid.
Beca smiled as she stood and picked up their trash. She walked it over to the trashcan and noticed James waiting just up the block.
"James is here," Beca called over her shoulder as Chloe stood and made her way to her side.
The pair walked up the block to the waiting sedan and James opened the door for them then made his way back to the driver side as they got settled in the car.
The ride was silent until Beca spoke, "You okay?" She said as her thumb rubbed over Chloe's knuckles.
"Yeah," Chloe turned and smiled at Beca, "I just don't want this night to end. It's been perfect."
"I agree," Beca responded.
"Maybe it doesn't have to?" Chloe said as a thought hit her.
Beca tilted her head to the side in a silent question.
Chloe could feel a blush start to creep up her neck at the thought she was about to vocalize, "Umm, what would you say about spending the night with me?"
