Hello friends! Sorry for the long wait – I toyed around with this installment for far too long until I produced something passable. Thanks to profitina for her faithful service.
See previous chapters for disclaimers.
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After she and Finn deduced that Jesse was up to no good, Rachel was absolutely livid. 'Playing along' wouldn't have been so difficult – she is an actress, after all, and in her professional endeavors she had to put up with colleagues that she couldn't stand. But she was just so angry at the idea that Jesse planned to stir up rumors instead of merely working harder to improve his performance.
Nonetheless, she remained polite and courteous in their offstage interactions, all the while on the lookout for increasingly flirtatious behavior or other efforts to garner her good graces. Strangely enough, she didn't detect any such activity. At first she thought that he might be waiting until after the craziness of opening weekend, but time stretched to over a week with no discernible change. If anything, Jesse had been initiating fewer conversations than before.
Was that itself cause for greater concern? Rachel was starting to over-analyze the situation while removing her makeup after their second Wednesday matinee.
"Oh man…" She heard Jesse's voice behind her. Looking in the corner of the vanity mirror she saw the reflection of him stretching his arms over his head while he deeply yawned.
"Tired?" she asked with a smirk.
"You could say that. I didn't realize how hard this eight-shows-a-week business would be," he said sheepishly.
Instinctively, Rachel offered a warm smile. "It takes some getting used to."
"I suppose it does," Jesse agreed, sitting down next to her. There was a moment's pause while he shifted uncomfortably, as if he wanted to say something.
Here we go, Rachel thought to herself.
"So, I've been meaning to ask you," he began, "where does Finn work?"
Needless to say, that wasn't what Rachel was expecting him to say. Her eyes narrowed immediately but she tried to act natural.
"The spa in the W Hotel," she answered nonchalantly, dabbing off the last of her eyeliner before gathering all of her used cotton balls and discarding them in the small wastebasket nearby. Determined to keep her demeanor casual, she didn't dare look up at Jesse.
"Oh, very nice," he responded. "Do you think he can fit me in for an appointment sometime in the next few days? I think a massage might help me adjust to the rigor of the schedule." As if for added effect, he stretched again.
"Mmm, I don't know, I'll need to ask him." Rachel stood, gathering her things and slipping on her coat. "But I'll let you know what he says!" She tried to sound cheerful even though she was wary about bringing up the subject.
"Thanks," Jesse said with a warm smile. "I appreciate it."
One effect of the eight-shows-a-week schedule for Rachel was that she and Finn had established Wednesdays as their standing date night. They saw one another on other nights (and therefore mornings) of the week, and usually on Mondays as well. But after a busy weekend of shows Rachel was tired, and spent her day off lazing around inside or doing chores and errands, with or without Finn.
Following Wednesday matinees, by contrast, she felt energized and eager to enjoy an evening out with her favorite man.
They'd decided to alternate between each of their neighborhoods, trying a new restaurant each week. Whenever they ate near Finn's apartment they also stopped off at the dessert shop they'd made a habit of patronizing. Tonight, as had also previously become a custom, the pair combined the consumption of pastries with other physically indulgent activities.
The result was that Rachel didn't mention her conversation with Jesse until much later that night when they were getting ready to go to bed. (To sleep, this time.)
"He what?!" Finn bolted out from the bathroom, toothbrush hanging from his mouth as he gaped at her. Rachel was sitting up in bed, shoulders stiff with anticipation.
Finn darted back into the bathroom and emerged another minute later, laughing sheepishly as he got under the covers with her. "I'm sorry, babe. I thought you said that Jesse wants an appointment with me. But I must've heard wrong."
Rachel exhaled dramatically, allowing her shoulders to sag back down to their usual position. Finn rarely employed sarcasm, using it only when caught off-guard. So she figured he wasn't necessarily angry, and therefore pressed on.
"It's obviously not an idea I expect you to love. But you agreed that I need to 'play along' with Jesse's nice-guy act for now, until we figure out what he's scheming about." Her mouth twitched up in a sly smile. "In fact, I seem to recall that initially I was prepared to give that idiot a piece of my mind and you reminded me that it would be best not to—"
"Yeah, yeah, you recall correctly," Finn muttered before taking a deep breath and exhaling as well, eyes gazing up at the ceiling. "I think I can fit him in on Friday afternoon, but I'll have to check the calendar when I go in tomorrow to confirm the exact time."
Rachel squealed, relieved at his acquiescence, and peppered his cheek with kisses. "Thank you, Finn."
Finn sighed and turned toward her. "You're right that I'm not super happy about the idea. But I love you, and Jesse is your ex/coworker/friend/whatever, and if I help him I'm really just helping you." Then his brow wrinkled, a cute face he made when he was thinking. "Could this be part of his plan somehow?"
"Now you're just being paranoid," Rachel said as she snuggled into his side. "I can't imagine it has anything to do with anything," she added with a yawn.
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Friday afternoon Finn sat in the spa's staff lounge, leafing through one of the trashy celebrity magazines that they kept in the waiting room. He ignored the remnants of his lunch strewn on the table in front of him as he deftly turned the flimsy pages, not so much reading as distracting himself from thinking about what lay ahead.
He'd already done enough of that, and concluded that Jesse must be up to something. There were plenty of spas in New York where he could get a decent massage, and no normal guy specifically seeks to get one from his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend unless he wants to start trouble. Of course, he didn't force that issue with Rachel, since she seemed convinced otherwise.
The bell tolled in the form of Samantha coming to retrieve him.
"Finn? Your 1:30 is all set in Room 3."
"Thanks."
He reluctantly cleared his trash and followed her out of the break room before proceeding down the hall.
"Hey, Jesse," he said flatly as he entered and approached the supply shelf in the corner of the room.
"Finn, my man!" Jesse replied excitedly from the massage table. "Thanks for fitting me in. I really appreciate it."
"Not a problem." So far so good with the polite and pleasant, he thought. After checking on the supplies he gave Jesse his introductory spiel about the basic massage. Jesse asked if he could use a technique that would best help the circulation in his vocal chords. Finn resisted the urge to roll his eyes and agreed to concentrate on his neck and shoulders.
"So… you and Rachel, huh?" Jess asked once the massage had begun.
Here we go, Finn thought. "Yep, me and Rachel," he answered, trying not to sound wary about where the conversation was going.
"How long has it been for you two now?"
Finn honestly wasn't sure if he was supposed to start counting from their first date or from when they committed to each other exclusively. "About three months." Either way it wasn't really Jesse's business and he wanted to keep his answers short.
"Ah, so still fairly new," the actor assessed. "You wouldn't know it by the way she gushes about you… but she tends to fall hard. When we first got together I had her wrapped around my finger really quickly."
Finn snickered half-heartedly in response, not wanting to prolong the discussion any further.
"I'm serious, man. When she and I were dating…"
Jesse mentioned a few other features of his past relationship with Rachel before relaxing amidst the massage and quieting down.
His comments – which included some chauvinistic references to their sex-life – were obviously meant to make Finn jealous and defensive. Apparently Jesse was trying to get under Finn's skin instead of wooing Rachel directly. The tactic may have worked on Finn a few years ago, when he was less secure and too easy to react to threats to his relationship. This time, he simply gritted his teeth while channeling his frustration into Jesse's (small, underutilized) muscles.
The rest of the massage proceeded uneventfully, and Jesse said that he would call to schedule another appointment "if today's treatment alleviates my distress."
Once Finn had seen Jesse off, Laura informed him that his only remaining client for the day cancelled. Eager to put the workday behind him, Finn said goodbye to his co-workers and headed for the subway downtown.
Irked as he was by Jesse's behavior, he tried not to think about it. Luckily he wasn't planning on seeing Rachel until the next night, meaning she would see Jesse first. Since he was sure to say that the massage went well, Finn figured that when Rachel mentioned it he could just agree with whatever Jesse told her.
That plan went out the window when he returned to his apartment to find Rachel there with Kurt, sharing some afternoon tea.
"You're home early," Kurt commented.
"Hi, baby!" Rachel stood to kiss him after he'd shed his coat and joined them in the living room. "I texted Kurt this morning to ask if he DVRed Real Housewives, and he told me that he had off today so we got together for lunch!" she explained excitedly.
"Cool," Finn said quietly as he sat down next to Rachel on the couch, trying not to seem uneasy.
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked, eying him cautiously.
"What? Yeah, I'm good," Finn insisted. "Sorry if I'm interrupting," he added with a playful eye-roll, as if that might explain whatever tension he was displaying.
"Nonsense," Rachel said sweetly. "You still come first for me, no matter what!"
Finn smiled through a wince in response while she patted his knee gently. He felt emotionally distant from her such that he couldn't even enjoy the reassuring touch of her small hand. He didn't like it.
"So anyway," Kurt began, regaining Rachel's attention, "Blaine's birthday is coming up and I'm not sure what to do…"
While his brother went on about whatever the predicament was, Finn's mind swirled with his own dilemma. It was only a matter of time before Rachel remembered that this afternoon was his appointment with Jesse and asked how it went. He couldn't lie to her, but what was he supposed to say? She had a show in a few hours and he didn't want to upset her.
There was also the chance that he was just being sensitive to Jesse's general jackassery which wasn't meant to be personal, he acknowledged internally.
"Finn, are you sure you're all right?" Rachel asked suddenly.
"Yeah, you're awfully quiet today," Kurt chimed in, "even for you."
At that comment Finn's girlfriend and stepbrother shared a hearty chuckle.
"Yeah, I'm just tired," he said soothingly. Then he smiled, realizing that flattery might make up for his sour mood. "Someone wore me out last night."
Kurt rolled his eyes while Rachel giggled. Then she looked at the clock.
"Well, on that note, I need to get to the theater." She stood and slipped on her coat before turning to Kurt. "Thank you for lunch, my dear." They kissed each other once on each cheek.
Then Finn stood and walked Rachel to the door. "We're still on for tomorrow?"
"Yes, sir! I will expect you at the theater at 10 PM sharp!" she said cheerfully. "Oh! I almost forgot to ask – how was the appointment with Jesse?"
"It was fine," he said, fighting off the urge to grimace. "Not the most wonderful hour of my life but also not the worst. Uneventful, really."
"Okay, I'm glad." Rachel seemed satisfied enough with the response.
With that she kissed him goodbye and left. Finn breathed a sigh of relief when she was safely away, leaving the foyer and turning to retreat to his bedroom.
"Okay, what's up with you?!" Kurt cornered him before he even reached the hallway.
"It's nothing, Kurt, I swear," he insisted. "It's just… been a long week."
"All right," his brother said, despite not seeming entirely convinced. Then his mood shifted. "Well, I'm going out for the evening. Don't wait up." The well-coifed man winked as he glided out the door.
Alone in the apartment, Finn sighed. Not being able to talk to Kurt bothered him just as much as not sharing his feelings with Rachel. But he wasn't sure if he could trust his brother to keep anything from his girlfriend, since they were having secret spontaneous lunches without him.
Frustrated, Finn hoped to Grilled Cheesus that the nonsense with Jesse would blow over as quickly as possible.
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Her afternoon with Kurt and surprise appearance by Finn meant that Rachel barely made it to the theater on time before that evening's performance of Spring Awakening. She didn't have enough time to ask Jesse's opinion of Finn's massage, and made a mental note to inquire about that the following morning.
After the final curtain, Rachel quickly changed out of her costume and hastily removed her makeup, eager to go home and get a good night's sleep before a busy weekend of shows.
On her way towards the exit, she stopped when she heard Jesse's voice coming from a side hallway that led to the wings. It seemed like he was on the phone.
"I told you, it's not going to be that easy. She and this guy are fairly serious, it seems." There was a pause while he listened to whoever was speaking on the other end of the line.
"Well I tried that, but he didn't take the bait." Jesse sighed just as he came into her field of vision. Rachel crept closer, keeping her body behind a curtain while peering around it carefully. Luckily Jesse was facing away from her, leaning his arm on a nearby wall.
"I paid the Neanderthal to give me a massage, for Christ's sake! ...No, it was lovely, thank you, but I very well could have gotten one from a female masseuse who isn't dating my costar!"
Rachel had to suppress a gasp as she realized that Jesse was talking about Finn.
"I don't know," Jesse said after another pause, still irritated. "He seemed annoyed, yes, but he didn't do anything about it. My source said that inciting his jealousy would result in a tirade, but apparently that's not true. Or at least it hasn't happened yet. So we may need to find another way… Yes… Okay, bye."
Despite being stunned by what she overheard, Rachel managed to slink away quietly before Jesse turned around.
Gritting her teeth, she hailed a cab and gave the driver Finn's address.
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