"So, you mean you're working this whole week? That's lame Rachel. It's your Spring Break." Santana fussed. Rachel was finally on her way to Puck's apartment after a long day. She worked all day at the coffee shop and went straight to her Tuesday night dance class afterward.
"It's certainly not the most exciting Spring Break option, but I have all this free time to do something productive and I—"
"Productive and Spring Break don't even belong in the same sentence. Me and Britt and a couple of friends are going to Cancun next week. That's a proper Spring Break Rachel."
"Nevertheless, I'm enjoying my break from classes. Working at the coffee shop is a breeze and I get to come home to my two favorite guys. Life's good in Ohio." Santana scoffed.
"Oh yeah, a housewife's dream. And I hear you're hosting the in-laws at your place this weekend. What are you gonna do about the vibrator?"
"Is my vibrator the only thing that you and Noah worry about? Trust me, I'm fully capable of proofing my house. I have a toddler, and the same things that shouldn't get into his hands are the same things I need to hide from in-laws… I mean Rebecca and Hannah."
"They'll be your in-laws soon, so you should go ahead and stop correcting yourself."
"Do you know something?" the anxiousness spilled out of Rachel without her permission. Santana snickered on the other end.
"God Berry, don't tell me you have wedding fever? You're not like dropping hints about getting engaged or anything, right. That's lame."
"No Santana, of course not. I haven't even graduated, I still don't know what I'm doing for a career that will be beneficial to Eli and me, and marriage—really?" Rachel meant everything she said, but the thought of Rebecca's upcoming engagement had her fantasizing about getting engaged, and even further: her perfect wedding.
"Whatever. I just know that when the wedding bells do ring for you and Puckerman, I best be the maid of honor and I'm going to throw the most kickass bachelorette party ever."
"That thought honestly scares me Santana. Thank God I'll have years to prepare for it."
"Please. I'd say a year max. Puckerman is head-up-his-ass, stupidly, intensely, psychotically in love with you."
"Are you sure you don't know anything?"
"Fuck. I just told you I don't know anything! But I do know Puck. And I think you're it for him. I don't know when it's coming or anything—he wouldn't tell me that anyway. But I know it's coming and you better not freak out and come up with a contract or anything this time."
"I've got to go Santana. Noah's waiting for me at the door." Rachel didn't realize that she'd been sitting in the driveway that long on the phone. They said their goodbyes until next week, not without Santana planting seeds in Rachel's mind.
"Lopez going on about her latest sexual conquest?" Puck embraced Rachel and kissed her forehead.
"As usual." Rachel lied. She didn't want to bring up marriage or anything remotely close to it. He took her bag and followed her inside the house. Eli was sitting on the floor playing with his blocks and watching a Baby Einstein DVD. Rachel noticed Puck had his laptop out and papers all over the couch.
"Got work to catch up on?" Rachel asked Puck. She sat on the floor next to Eli and kissed his cheek. "Hey sweetie, how was your day?"
"Hi mommy!" Eli exclaimed. He gave Rachel a quick hug then went back to playing. Rachel saw that he was focused, so she'd play with him later.
"Is it the project that Mr. Daniels has you working on?" Rachel asked Puck. He was taking up most of the couch with his papers, but Puck moved his laptop and pulled Rachel down into his lap.
"Yes. It's just a lot of work involved. Me, Vic, and Alan just wanna have our shit together, so we've been working on it after hours."
"Do you want Eli and me to head to my place? You could use the concentration." Puck glared at Rachel.
"Hell no. Both of you are staying right here. Besides, I know how hot it gets you to see me hard at work."
"I can't deny it. It is quite the turn on Puckerman. I'll be in the shower."
"Thinking about this badass architect?" Rachel grinned and winked.
While she was in the shower, she let her mind wander back to her conversation with Santana. Being married within a year? Rachel's main concern about getting back with Puck was their tendency to move so fast. She nearly had a panic attack when he presented her with those blueprints the last time.
But now… something was different. Staying with Puck for the last few days between the both of their residences was something she was getting used to. Cuddling close to him at night, waking up next to him in the morning—Rachel loved these experiences. What a difference a year made.
"Yo babe, Alex has called you like five times. Want me to text Vic and see what's up?" Puck popped his head into the shower, startling Rachel. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the bathroom door open.
"No, I'll return her calls as soon as I get out."
"I'll leave your phone on the counter." Puck said and went back out the bathroom. Rachel knew he must have been super stressed work because he didn't even make a crude remark about her being naked in the shower. She quickly washed her hair and jumped out to return Alex's call.
"Thank God! Please tell me you're free tonight!" Alex answered.
"Hey Alex. What's wrong?"
"To make a long story short, I need a partner in crime tonight. My friend's dating this guy in this really terrible cover band. I promised I'd come see their next show—but I cannot go through this alone. Pleeeease Rachel. I'll pick you up, buy all your drinks—whatever you need. Just come with me!" Alex begged.
"What time are you thinking? I'd at least want to put Eli to bed tonight since Noah's hard at work."
"God, him too? Vic hasn't taken his eyes off his laptop for the past 3 hours. The show doesn't start until 10. I'll be to your apartment at 9:45 ish."
"I'm at Noah's house tonight, but that sounds good. I'll text you the address."
"Rach, you're a lifesaver. I've got you tonight and I still owe you big time!"
"I'm a performer Alex, so my tolerance for terrible performances is low." Rachel joked. Alex laughed.
"So the both of us will get drunk cause that's the only way we'll survive the show." Alex said and hung up.
Rachel quickly blow-dried her hair, wondering if she had anything casual enough for a bar (where she assumed this event would take place). Even though it was sudden, Rachel was thrilled to be having a girls' night out. She and Alex had gone to a movie together a couple days after the charity dinner, but they hadn't done anything since then. Rachel threw on a tank top and a pair of her sleep shorts and then went to see what her guys were up to.
"Smell your shampoo all the way over here." Puck mumbled from his laptop.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing? And have you guys eaten yet? Alex begged me to go out with her tonight so I want to make sure you guys are set before I leave." Rachel wondered what his reaction would be. He sat his laptop on the chair and looked at her.
"Crap. Eli and I shared a sandwich a couple hours ago so he's probably hungry. I've been so focused that I completely forgot." Rachel kissed his cheek before she went into the kitchen.
"It's okay. I can put something together quickly. Anything you're particularly in the mood for?" Rachel called to him, looking through his cabinets.
"I'll order Chinese. You deserve a night off from us." Puck admitted, scrolling through the phone for their favorite Chinese restaurant. In the meantime, Rachel bathed Eli and had some one-on-one time with him.
"Bubbie Becca and Aunt Hannah are coming this weekend. Are you excited?" Reminding Eli made Rachel think of all she had to do to prepare. She still needed to Puckerman-proof her apartment, as well as stock her fridge and cabinets. She also needed to allot time for Peter and Puck to be alone so that Peter could ask for Rebecca's hand in marriage. Tentative upon that happening successfully, the four of them (Rachel, Puck, Peter, and Hannah) had to create the perfect atmosphere for the proposal. It exhausted Rachel just to think about it.
Eli made sure she didn't have too much time to dwell on it because he started to splash around, getting Rachel and the bathroom floor wet. She quickly finished bathing him and got him dressed for bed. They emerged out the bathroom just as Puck was paying for the delivery. He fixed Eli a small plate and handed Rachel her box.
"So, where are you ladies heading tonight?" Puck asked. Rachel explained all that she knew about the outing. She was standing in the kitchen, using chopsticks to eat out her box.
"When's the last time you've actually had a girls night out? I don't remember this ever happening while we were together. Well, unless you count baby shopping with Kurt."
"Well, I've been out with Santana and Brittany a few times since we haven't been together. The last time was at the beginning of Winter Break." Rachel said lightly. She hadn't gotten around to telling him the story behind that night yet.
"I want you to have fun tonight Rach. I'm glad you and Alex clicked or whatever it is you girls call it. Yeah we've got a kid and yeah we have responsibility, but both of us need to let loose every once in a while." Rachel grinned at Puck.
"I'm so glad that my better half is incredibly wise."
"Okay grandma. Seriously, who calls their boyfriend 'better half' these days?" Puck teased.
"Boyfriend is almost too juvenile. Sounds like we're in grade school." Rachel countered.
"I'll just call you my woman then." Puck joked, laughing at his own joke. Rachel ignored him and helped Eli clean up his mess. Luckily, as soon as she got him settled in his room, Eli went straight to sleep. She assumed he hadn't taken a proper nap at daycare and was thankful for it. Now that Eli was down and Puck was back to work, Rachel could take her time and get ready in peace. Alex showed up right on time and came inside to give Puck some documents from Victor.
"God, everyone must have always been jealous of you in high school Rach. You look flawless every time I see you!" Alex exclaimed. Puck started laughing hysterically and Rachel whacked him before he could crack on her high school attire.
"I kind of grew into my own style through college. It's been a work in progress for the past couple of years." Rachel said, looking down at her outfit. She had on a pair of jeans, matched with cute booties, and a blazer over her tank top. She leaned down to kiss Puck.
"I'm getting ready to crash now but if you need me, call me Rachel. I'm serious."
"Okay, grandpa. But the same goes for you. See you later." Rachel said and closed the door behind her.
"The Black Shark? How come I've missed out on this fine establishment after all these years?" Rachel joked. Alex rolled her eyes.
"Smart ass. I knew you couldn't be so wholesome. And that's perfect because tomorrow looks like a day to call out for me. What about you?"
"I'll have a drink or two. I'm a mom now, I can't be coming back home drunk. That's tacky." Rachel looked around at her surroundings. Honestly, the bar was tacky. She couldn't even imagine what kind of show the band would perform. But she was glad to be out with a friend.
Alex led them to the bar and ordered them two beers. Rachel's eyes widened when Alex told the bartender to keep her tab open. Alex smiled widely at Rachel.
"I know you have your mommy reputation, but I'm giving you an out for the night if you want it. You don't have to get blasted, but it's your last spring break so you should live it up some. Just a little Rachel." Alex sounded so sincere that Rachel couldn't even second guess the nodding reply she gave.
"Fine! But you have to drive us back. How much do you weigh? I have this app on my phone that allows me to calculate your blood alcohol concentration." Rachel said seriously. She was a little worried that Alex would think she was a moodkiller. Secretly, Rachel's worry went as far down as to think that maybe she wasn't even "cool" enough to hang out with her. Alex was tall and gorgeous, and had so many friends. Rachel took a long sip of her beer and tried to snap herself out of that insta-funk.
"I have the same app girl!" Alex said, putting Rachel at ease. "Here comes my friend Morgan. I love her to death, but this guy is no good for her."
"Trey and the guys are unloading backstage. Aren't you so excited to see them perform in person?" Morgan asked excitedly.
"Hey Morgan, I'm great. This is my friend Rachel. I brought her with me because I hate Trey and his band sucks. But I came to be a supportive friend for you." Alex said bluntly. Rachel waved politely.
"Can't you just suck up your 'I hate Trey' thing that we go through every time we see each other? He only cheated twice. I don't want to be mad at you tonight." Morgan turned to the bar and ordered 10 shots of tequila. Alex nudged Rachel.
"The guys always open up with tequila before the show. Trey gets 3 shots. Mike, Brian, and Ray get 2 shots. And I get one! So I'll be backstage with them. You guys can come back once the show starts."
"Oh, are you their manager?" Rachel asked. She felt impolite for not making conversation, but she could tell that Morgan was someone who only talked about herself and the band.
"No, I'm just their number one fan! See you guys afterward!" Morgan carried the shots on a tray and walked away. Alex turned to Rachel.
"I love Morgan but she's hard to be around alone. I knew she'd ditch me like this anyway, so I'm glad that I have at least one friend I rely on. Finish your beer, I definitely need something a little stronger to get through this night." Alex waved the bartender over.
"So, what are you? A fruity, mixed drink girl?" Alex asked. Rachel smirked. People would assume that about her.
"Actually, I'm a pretty diverse drinker. I may be in a sex on the beach mood at times but I can also be a Jack and coke when I need to be."
"Well excuse me! You're so unexpected—you're pretty much my current girl crush." Alex wasted no time and ordered two Jack and cokes for them. Rachel had gotten accustomed to the taste of Jack Daniels since it was Puck's favorite liquor, but the minute she took a sip, she realized that it'd been a while since she had hard liquor.
"We probably only have 5 minutes to enjoy ourselves before Trey's shitty band starts. Let's go out on the dance floor."
"As long as we head to the front. If I had to come out to see a bad show I at least want to see it up close so I can properly critique." Rachel said seriously.
As the music thumped around them, Rachel and Alex sipped their drinks and surveyed the crowd. Rachel could already feel her inhibitions slowly easing. She just hoped she wouldn't allow the alcohol to embarrass her.
"Those guys are checking us out. The terrible thing about it is that they're actually cute. Shit, they're coming over. I have a terrible flirting problem. Save me if I go too far." Alex said, flashing a smile at the approaching gentlemen. The two guys stopped in front of them and Rachel had to admit, they were gorgeous.
"I was trying to think of something awesome to say, but I'm coming up short." The taller, blond guy said to Rachel. She felt a little excited about being approached. It usually never happened.
"Normally people start with their names. I'll give you an example. I'm Rachel and this is my friend Alex."
"What my inexperienced, no game having friend Hank is trying to say is that you two are beautiful and we'd love to refill your drink when you're done. By the way, I'm Walt. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Trust, the pleasure is all ours." Alex said. Rachel had to do a double take after hearing Alex's flirty voice. Alex batted her eyes at Walt, giving an innocent smile. Rachel couldn't wait to tease her about it.
"Please don't take this the wrong way, but Walt and I come here often. This doesn't look like your type of hangout." Hank said. Rachel noticed that Walt had eased Alex a few steps away, probably to give Hank some space to work his game. Rachel, of course, wasn't planning on falling for any of it, but she wouldn't outright reject him either.
"Well, what type of place do you see me going to?"
"You just seem too… clean for this place. Like this isn't your scene."
"I mean, besides the name, once you get over the grunginess of the place, it resembles a common bar. Perhaps I seem out of place because I don't frequent the bar scene very often."
"Whoa, English major?"
"Actually, theatre."
"That makes sense. You probably intimidate guys with the way you talk." Rachel thought it would be a perfect time to introduce Noah into the conversation.
"If I get too complicated, my boyfriend will tell me to translate." Rachel said, taking a long sip of her drink. Hank's face showed a quick flash of disappointment, but he recovered quickly.
"I knew you'd be taken. At least let me get you that drink." Hank said. Rachel looked around for Alex and saw she was already at the bar with Walt. Rachel got another drink and she and Alex made small talk with the guys until the show started. From that point, Rachel was in a state of slight intoxication mixed with horror and disbelief. Trey's band was… unsettling. She'd never seen such a show of unprofessionalism in any performance. Most of the band was clearly intoxicated (they were drinking shots on stage—in the middle of a performance) and Trey's voice wasn't all that amazing. He forgot a couple of words and inserted expletives in their place. No wonder they were performing at the Black Shark. But perhaps the most disturbing part of it all was that Trey was blatantly flirting with women in the crowd from the stage, knowing that his girlfriend was backstage watching the entire thing.
"Your face says it all." Alex commented. Rachel blinked a few times, trying to make sense of it all. "I told you they sucked. That was my first and last time ever."
Morgan bounded over to them, looking a little drunk herself. She grinned at Rachel and Alex.
"Wasn't that just great? I thought they did really well tonight. Hey Trey! Over here!" Morgan waved Trey over. Alex nudged Rachel and she was almost afraid to wonder what would happen next.
"Bout time you came out to see a show Al. Fucking sexy up there, wasn't I?" Trey asked. Alex ignored him as she typed out something on her phone.
"And who's the hot chick? Damn babe you're tiny. I could totally break you… in more ways than one." Rachel could tell why Alex didn't like him. The guy was a pig, to say the least.
"I may be small, but trust me, I can hold my weight. Especially on a stage. That's where you're lacking. I wasn't impressed." Rachel snapped. Morgan looked more upset at Rachel for insulting the band than she did at Trey for openly flirting with her.
"Babe, tell that bitch how fucking awesome we are. The crowd was eating it all up. What fucking show were you looking at?" Trey stepped to Rachel and asked. Now Rachel could see how Puck got into so much trouble over the years after drinking Jack Daniels. She was a second away from initiating a barfight.
"Trey, you're such a dick. Your show sucked ass, as I expected. Do me a favor and go fuck yourself. Morgan, if you ever ask me to come to see this pathetic shit again our friendship will be hanging on by a thread. C'mon Rach." Alex said, practically dragging Rachel out the bar. Rachel was thankful for the fresh air because it immediately cleared her mind.
"How does she date him?" was the first thing Rachel could blurt out.
"He treats her so bad and the terrible thing about it is that she knows and still won't leave his pathetic ass. Being around them made me miss Vic. I can't wait to get back home to him. Hopefully he and Puck are finished with work. I know your guy will be happy to have you back in his arms tonight. He looked a little on edge about you going out."
"I don't go out that often. I apparently stuck out like a sore thumb."
"You've got a kid so of course you don't go out that much. Trust me, you're not missing anything special. Just make sure you have a life though. Anytime you feel overwhelmed and wanna get out for a while, you know you can call me! I wanna see you get trashed anyway. I bet that would be a sight to see."
"I become completely inappropriate. The first time I got drunk I forced myself onto Noah. My drunken escapades have only gotten more inappropriate."
"Yeah, what was this in like the 2nd grade? You guys have been together for the longest. I can't wait to hear about the engagement story, because I know it's coming."
Rachel was beginning to think that all these wedding questions and situations was a sign for her. First Rebecca's proposal, then Santana and Alex making comments about Rachel and Puck were getting married. What would be next—Finn calling to ask for her favorite jewelry store?
It was the second time that day Rachel was walking back into Puck's house with a wedding on her mind. She dropped her purse on the couch and heard a grunt in response. She flipped on the light and saw Puck laying on the couch, his face under her purse.
"Noah, why aren't you sleeping in the bed? You didn't have to wait up for me!" Rachel exclaimed, moving her purse to the counter. Puck got up and stretched.
"I tried. Couldn't sleep without you. I'm getting too used to you in bed with me." He flipped off the light and pulled Rachel into the bedroom. While Puck dove face down into the covers, Rachel changed and went to brush her teeth before bed. Puck's statement stirred something in her. She got into bed and snuggled next to him.
"Mmm. This is how it always needs to be. No jumping from house to house." Puck mumbled. Rachel could tell he was sleep-talking.
"I couldn't agree more." Rachel said honestly. She felt Puck smile against her skin.
Eh, so not my favorite chapter. Excuse the fact that the whole bar scene is uncoordinated and weird. I tweaked and toyed with it... and that's the best I got. The Puckermans come to town soon, so at least be excited about that. :)