"So, what's up?" Aubrey asks even before she can say hello.
"Not much. I'm actually just getting ready to head out with some colleagues for drinks." Chloe responded cheerfully as she picked up her cell.
"Oh really? You sound like you're in a good mood. I'm guessing a certain Dr. Mitchell is also going for drinks?"
"How'd you know?"
Chloe could almost hear Aubrey smirk in response over the phone.
"Lucky guess. How have things been between both of you?"
"It's going really well actually. Beca has really started to warm up to me and we've been getting to know each other a little more. She's not as much of an ice queen like I thought she was. She's actually really nice, Aubrey. I think you'd like her."
"Well, you guys must be getting real cozy now that you are on a first name basis," Aubrey said teasingly.
"Aubrey!" Chloe said indignantly. "We're just friends, that's all."
"Well you know how I feel about you dating. You have to circulate more Chloe."
"You know how busy I am. I don't have time for a relationship right now, and I just moved into town!"
"This is exactly what I mean Chloe. I don't mean to be a nag, but I want you to be happy."
"Yeah. I know. I have to go now, Beca's coming to pick me up in half an hour and I need to finish getting ready."
"Picking you up huh? So much for it not being a date." Aubrey snorted.
"Well enjoy your night and text me if anything interesting happens."
"I will. Bye Bree."
"Bye Chloe"
Chloe hung up and looked at herself in the mirror, putting the finishing touches on her makeup. A little while later, she glanced down at her cell phone and saw that Beca had texted her.
'I'm about 5 mins away.'
'Great, I'll be down at curbside' she texted back.
Chloe wasn't quite sure what to make of Beca asking her out for drinks with Jesse and Stacie, but she shoved the thought at the back of her mind. They were just friends.
'Friends ask friends out for drinks.' she reminded herself as she grabbed her handbag and keys.
"You look…nice." Beca said as she entered the car, giving her a quick glance over that Chloe didn't miss.
"Thanks." Chloe said with a shy smile.
"So, where are we headed to?" she asked brightly, changing the topic before they ventured into awkward silence territory.
Beca grinned.
"I keep forgetting that you are new to town. We're going to be hanging out at Pete's, one of the local dives that Jesse, Stacie and I often frequent. You'll like it, it'd be nice to chill after a long day."
When the two of them arrived at the bar they were shown quickly to a booth where Jesse, Stacie and Amy were already seated. The trio was laughing at one of the stories Fat Amy was telling them about a patient
"Beca, Chloe! You guys made it. We were beginning to wonder if you two had skipped out on us for some one on one time." Jesse greeted them each with a hug and a wide grin.
Beca shot him a glare, while Chloe couldn't help but feel a blush creep up her face.
"Very funny Swanson. We were caught in traffic, you know how it gets." Beca responded quickly, trying to change the topic before it got out of hand.
"So where are the drinks? I'm buying the first round."
The group settled back into the booth and started swapping stories about crazy patients and their day of cases.
After one too many drinks, Beca leaned back against the booth with a happy grin. She hadn't felt this relaxed and happy in a long while. Of course, part of the reason had been because of Chloe, but she wasn't quite ready to admit that just yet.
With the five of them seated close together she couldn't help but be pressed up against Chloe's side, which left her with a warm buzz and a comfortable feeling.
The bar had gotten more crowded since the live band had started and a dance crowd was forming at the foot of the stage.
Beca heard the familiar sounds of Titanium coming from the speakers.
"Want to dance?" Chloe asked Beca, poking her lightly in the ribs.
"I love this song." she grinned.
"You know David Guetta?" Beca asked with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't think you were the type."
"Have I been living under a rock? This song is my jam. My lady jam."
"The song really builds." the redhead winked at her knowingly.
Beca found her mouth gape open slightly in surprise but no words came out. Had Chloe just flirted openly with her? She glanced around to see if the rest of the gang had noticed, but they were all caught up in their own conversation.
"C'mon Dr. Mitchell. Let's go dance."
"Sure, why not." Beca found herself saying, even though she did not normally dance. In fact, she hated dancing. That was never her quite her thing. Beca Mitchell did not dance.
This was probably an alcohol-induced decision, she reasoned with herself, as she found herself being led willingly out to the dance floor by the redhead.
Once there, she realized that this would be more of a challenge than she had originally thought.
Watching Chloe swaying and grinding her hips to the beat of Titanium, Beca found herself going insane. She wanted so desperately to pull her closer, to feel her warm body pressed tightly against hers. Instead, she found her hands ghosting the side of the redhead's hips as she fought against the urge to pull her even closer.
Just then, the song ended, and the band shifted into a slower beat. Beca could see in her periphery that the rest of the couples around them had started to adopt an intimate slow dance position.
Before she could say anything, she felt Chloe's hand on her shoulder and she unconsciously began to move hers gently over the small of the redhead's back. The next thing she knew, she found herself pressed against the front of Chloe's warm body, in a way that was not how they had started out. Caught up in the magic of the moment, Beca let her arm slide down from Chloe's shoulder to rest against her hips.
God, she smelled so good.
"I love music." Chloe whispered into her ear, as they swayed to the beat.
"Do you?" she whispered back, afraid to look up at the redhead for fear that the moment would end. No, she was not prepared for this moment to end.
She heard Chloe sigh her response and felt her move even closer, pulling their joined hands in toward their bodies, as she brushed the side of her head against hers.
"Beca?" Both Beca and Chloe froze in their positions as a woman's voice invoked the interruption for them.
Beca sighed deeply in frustration and disengaged from the redhead, who opened her eyes and stared deeply into hers. There was a fizzle of something palpable. Beca felt a rush of conflicting emotions, most of them begging her to kiss the redhead.
"Beca Mitchell!" the voice continued, unaware of what she had been interrupting. "I can't believe it's you."
Beca turned toward the familiar voice and backed two steps away from Chloe, clearing her throat.
"Marie!" Beca stared in shock at the familiar face of her ex-girlfriend. Of all the damn gin joints in the world.
Marie reached out and Beca hugged her awkwardly, trying not to look at Chloe. Trying not to think of Chloe. Which was basically impossible since she was standing right there; since they had just spent the last fifteen minutes wrapped up in each other's arms.
She swallowed and then remembered that she hadn't even introduced them.
"Chloe, this is –"
"Marie. Marie Richardson. Beca's ex." The blonde lady blurted, without letting Beca complete her sentence.
Chloe smiled, cleared her throat and took the outstretched hand.
"Chloe Beale. I'm Beca's colleague."
There was a pregnant pause as Chloe glanced over at Beca, and found her expression to be one of quiet apology.
"Is it hot in here, or is it just me?" Chloe fanned herself slightly as her eyes searched for an escape. Anything to get her away from 'Marie Surprise Richardson'. It wasn't like she didn't like the woman. Well, okay it was. The blonde was a gorgeous woman and probably Beca's type.
Why should the fact that she was Beca's ex make any difference to her? Whatever the reason, it just seemed that it did make a difference, and since rationalizing things out on a dance floor wasn't nearly as satisfying as allowing herself the luxury of disliking the woman immediately, Chloe decided not to fight it. At least for now.
"I'm a little warm myself actually," Marie chimed in sweetly.
"In fact," she continued, "Beca, do you want to grab a drink and catch up for old time's sake?"
Chloe tossed a look at Beca and saw her shuffling her feet awkwardly as she tried to get a handle on the situation.
She decided to make things easier for the brunette.
"You know what?" Chloe smiled at Marie. "I think I'm going to head back to the booth. It's getting late and I should probably head back home. Early doctor hours and all."
"Chloe, wait …" Beca trailed off uncertainly. "I can give you a ride home."
"No worries," Chloe said a little too chirpily. "I can grab a ride from Stacie or Jesse. You two enjoy yourself. See you tomorrow."
Before Beca could say anything else, the redhead turned in the direction of their booth, leaving them both with a small wave. Beca watched her go, regretfully before turning to the blonde.
This was not how she wanted her night to end.