Chapter 25

Rachel was sitting on Kurt's bed. He was giving her a look. She watched as he got her a bottled water from his mini-fridge. He handed it to her and watched her take a sip. She looked up into his blue-green eyes. She took another sip and then capped the water. She sat it on the table beside the bed.

"So, what happened last night?" Kurt asked her.

She grabbed the bottle of water and drank some more. She just looked at him. She wasn't sure where to begin. She took another sip and looked up into his eyes again.

She realized that if she tell him something soon, he'd call Blaine. And, once he got Blaine on the phone, he'd put it on speaker. Blaine would get her to talk and they both knew it. She shook her head as she saw him reaching for his phone. She sat the bottle back down and looked up into her blue-green eyes with her soulful brown eyes.

"Nothing really happened, Kurt. We danced. We drank. We came back here and talked."

"Rachel Barbra Berry, I know that more than that happened."

"I am sure that you think you do, Kurt, but it didn't," she replied.

"Rachel, I am sure that Quinn told you that I found you this morning on the patio."

"She did."

"In nothing but some blankets," Kurt added.

Rachel flushed at the memory of her skin next hers. She didn't mean to be so obvious, but she couldn't help it. Quinn made her feel things. She smiled, and it wasn't just a quirky smile. No, this was a Rachel Berry megawatt smile.

"And, that right there proves it," Kurt told her.

"Nothing happened."

"If you say so," Kurt told her moving around the room and gathering his portfolio and samples.

"Kurt…"

"What?"

"We may have kissed."

"May have?" he asked her with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"Okay, we kissed. Things may have gotten a little heated, but that was it. All we did was talk and make out. I am sure that it wasn't from lack of trying on both our parts, but some reason we were both thinking that we shouldn't rush things and we should do it while drunk."

"Well, at least you both came to your senses," he stated.

"Yeah…" Rachel said, not sure that she wasn't the one that was pushing more than Quinn.

"So, when's the next date?"

"I don't know."

"Did you at least get her number?" Kurt questioned.

"Yeah, she put it in my phone."

"So she's giving the power?"

"She did."

"And, what are you going to do?" Kurt ask as he grabbed the chair from the desk in his room.

"I don't know," she replied as she watched him drag it over and sit on it backwards.

"Do you want to see her?"

"Of course I do."

"Then call her."

"Kurt, she just left a few hours ago…"

"And, what?" he asked.

"You don't think that it's too soon."

"For who? You? Or her?"

"I just don't know. I am not good at these things. We both know how my relationships went in high school. And, NYADA wasn't much better. Hell, between you, my cast mates and my fathers…I don't think that I would have a social life outside of the theatre. I am not very good at dating. I tend to fall too easily and then I push them away. I don't want to do that with her."

"Then find out what she likes and doesn't like. See her in her element. You two are already friends because of that website and chats. And, last night, it didn't like it was so bad between you. I think she actually likes you. Call and find out what she's doing today," he suggested.

"But, Kurt…"

"Either you do it, or I will," he stated.

She looked at him. She knew that he would. He would tickle her until he got her phone and then he would call Quinn. She felt weird about calling her so soon, but maybe he was right. They hadn't done anything really the night before. Dancing, drinking and talking didn't get them past the point of no return, so Rachel had a better chance of sealing the deal with her on a personal level.

She pulled her phone out of her skirt pocket and scrolled through the contacts. She stopped when she found Quinn's. She wasn't surprised to find a non-New York number. But, seeing the 424-430-1986 in her phone made everything a little more real to her. She looked up at Kurt once more and then back at her phone. She clicked on the number and let her phone dial.

The phone rang a few times. She was silently wishing that it would go to voicemail and then she was wishing that it wouldn't either. She was just about to hang up and forget the whole thing when Quinn answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Quinn, it's me, Rachel."

"Hold on. Let me go into the other room. I can't hear you over them right now."

"Take your time," Rachel said quickly.

"So, what are you up to?"

"Nothing. Just sitting with Kurt as he gets ready to go peddle his wares with the local boutiques. I am afraid that I am going to be quite bored while he does that. Fashion is totally not my thing, but his," Rachel told her.

"Oh, well, I guess that doesn't sound very fun. I thought that maybe you would go around and do the touristy thing while in town. I know plenty of places that you might want to go see."

"That sounds lovely, but I am not sure that I want to do it alone. Kurt came out here to be my assistant, my friend, and also to be a businessman. I cannot let him not do what he needs to do in order to expand his business. That wouldn't be very friendly of me," Rachel said.

"I am sure."

"But, I digress. How did you fare after you got home? Well, I take it," Rachel said.

"Yeah, didn't get a full fledge interrogation, yet though. My daughter kinda broke into it. Things have been interesting though. I am sure that Santana will corner me later."

"What if I could help you with that?" Rachel offered.

"I'm sorry, what?" Quinn almost chocked on the question.

"What if I could help you with that?" Rachel asked again.

"What are you suggesting?"

"You could show me around," Rachel stated.

"I could, but not today."

"I've interrupted family time, haven't I? Oh, I am sorry. I'll just let you go. Forgive me for intruding on your time. I guess you should call me later," Rachel said.

"Rachel, wait. Yeah, you might have called me, but you didn't interrupt anything. I was going to say that you could come to us, if you would like. We are going surfing later. You should come. It'll be fun," Quinn stated.

"I've never been surfing."

"Then there is no better time to learn."

"Are you sure that I wouldn't be intruding?" Rachel inquired.

"No, you won't. Plus, you could help me deal with Santana and Beth. They are going to have lots of questions, especially about last night. It would be nice to have someone on my side for once. Will you come?"

"I…I…I don't have anything beach appropriate to wear," Rachel told her.

"Don't worry. I am sure that we can find something for you to wear. You are that much different that Santana or I. There are plenty of suits for you to choose from. Trust me."

"I can come over. I don't know where to go. I mean I have a car, well a driver, but I don't know where you live. That is, if you want me to come there," Rachel explained.

Quinn laughed slightly through the phone. Rachel smiled. Kurt gave her a nod and a wink, urging her on with conversation. She wasn't sure what he was exactly encouraging but she didn't care as long as she possibly got more time with Quinn.

"That sounds great. But, I doubt that you'll wanna take your car service. I could come get you or take a taxi. I'll pay for the taxi," Quinn offered.

"That would be too much."

"I insist. You would be coming to my home. You are in my city. I think that I should show you our hospitality. It wouldn't be too much. Will you let me do this?"

"Pay for my taxi?"

"Yes," Quinn answered.

"How long of a ride is it?"

"Oh, I don't know. About an hour, I would say. Don't worry about that."

"Are you sure? I am sure that it would be an expensive ride. You must let me pay for it. I assure you that I can pay for it. Or, at least let me take the service. It is what they are being paid for. Just give me the address and I'll be on my way, then," Rachel told her.

"I am not going to win this, am I?"

"No."

"No further explanation, just a no?" Quinn quipped playing with her.

"I find sometimes the most simple answers are often enough to get the point across."

"For someone who can be as loquacious as you?"

"Yes," Rachel answered.

"That's still a quick and simple answer," Quinn stated.

"It is. But, I still insist that you let me do this. I shouldn't put you out when you are so graciously inviting me into your home or to your beach. I am not really sure where I would be going because you are still being very vague with the location and address," Rachel said.

"I am not being vague. I just haven't told you yet. There is a difference," Quinn teased her.

Rachel sighed. She knew that Quinn was not only a writer but also a lawyer. She knew that she had a way with words and she was deliberately trying to push her. It hadn't worked.

"Fine."

"How about this?"

"What?" Rachel asked.

"A taxi would be expensive, right? And, you want to leave the car service for Kurt to use around town, I am assuming. So, let's go with a third option," Quinn suggested.

"And that would be?" Rachel questioned.

"Either I come get you with my car, because it really wouldn't be any trouble. And, I know where you are staying. Or, you get a rental and drive yourself out here."

"A rental?"

"You can drive, right?" Quinn asked when she remembered that Rachel was from New York City.

"I...well, I usually just take a taxi. I don't have my own car, but yes, I have a license and I know how to drive. It just isn't efficient to drive in the City. But, a rental?"

"I know a place. I call one in for you, something worthy of your talent and your beliefs, something that you won't mind driving. How does that sound? That way you can still pay for it and it will be cheaper than a taxi ride," Quinn stated.

"I think that will work."

"Good. Do you have a concierge at the hotel? Did they tell you who to call for VIP treatment?"

"Yes, they did."

"Give me their info and I'll take care of it."

"But what about paying for the rental?"

"I'll get it put on your room. The studio will end up paying it. If they want you that badly, they won't mind a small charge," Quinn said.

"If you're sure."

"Yes, I am."

Rachel gave her the information. Kurt was watching her and wondering what they were up, but he knew enough to wait until Rachel got off of the phone. She just gave him a big smile.

"Alright, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you."

"No worries. Now, go get yourself ready. Don't worry about anything. I am sure that they will call you when the car arrives. I'll have everything ready on my end. I'll see in a few hours."

"Okay," Rachel said.

"Okay?"

"Okay, I'll be here waiting," Rachel answered.

"See you soon," Quinn told her and hung up.

Rachel hung up her phone. She smiled at Kurt. He looked at her and waited.

"She's getting me a rental car. I'm going out to her house. She's taking me surfing."

"Surfing?"

"Yeah," Rachel answered.

"You don't know how to surf."

"I know. She's going to teach me. I need to get ready."

"Ready?"

"Well, yeah, I want to make sure that I have something to change into once we are finished. I am not sure when I'll be back. It will take about an hour to get there," Rachel told him.

"Uh huh," Kurt replied, giving her a look telling her he was still waiting for more information.

"What?"

"So, you're just going over there?"

"Yeah?"

"Rachel, you barely know her. Why would you think that it would be okay for you to go to her house? We don't even know where she lives. You don't know her like you think you do," Kurt stressed.

"I do. I've been talking to her for months, Kurt. She is the same person she is online. She was perfectly chivalrous last night and this morning. She took care of me when she already knew that I was too drunk. She stopped before we did anything that we would both regret. Besides, she isn't going to be alone," Rachel told him as she made her way back to the door with the bottle of water.

"What do you mean that she is going to be alone?" Kurt asked.

"Her daughter is going to be with her," Rachel said as she left him standing in the middle of his room with his mouth wide open in shock.

She knew that it was soon to be going to her house, but she figured it was because Quinn knew that she wanted a more intimate setting to be with her. She also figured that it was a test of sorts as well. She knew that Quinn had a string of people that ran from her as soon as Beth was mentioned. This was a way for Rachel to prove herself to Quinn, to let her see that Rachel wasn't afraid of her daughter and that she would help Quinn keep her family first if something more came out of their relationship.

She back into her room. She grabbed a small bag, more like an oversized purse and filled it with a navy with cream flowers sun dress. She grabbed her sunglasses and some suntan lotion. She couldn't be too careful with her skin and it didn't matter that she was naturally tan. She grabbed her brush and some light makeup and threw it into the bag, too. She figured she was ready when the phone rang to her room. She jumped a little startled by the noise.

"Ms. Brice," the lady on the other end of the line stated after Rachel said "Hello."

"Yes?"

"Ms. Fabray has arranged for a car for you. I will be there in twenty minutes to pick you up with car. She's given me the direction to her house in Malibu and they will be programed in the car's GPS. Will there be anything that you require?"

"Is it a hybrid?"

"Yes, ma'am," the lady answered.

"No, I think that Ms. Fabray told you what I needed and believe that you will get me what I need. Thank you. I will be in lobby in twenty minutes to meet you."

"Very well, Ms. Brice. Until then. Good day."

Rachel hung up her phone. It was then that the reality of what she was about to do hit her. She was about to drive to Quinn's house in Malibu. She was about to drive in California...on a Saturday...when she hadn't driven properly in years.

"Well, this is going to be fun," she told herself as she walked into her bedroom to another set of underwear the bag, because she reasoned that you could never be too prepared.

Twenty-three minutes later, Rachel was downstairs, bag in hand, sunglasses on her face, ready to go. A red haired woman approached her. Rachel would have normally been put off with her, but she saw that she bore the same logo on her blazer as Will, her driver had, on his jacket the other day.

"Ms. Brice?" she asked Rachel.

"Yes," she replied.

"I'm Emma. I have your car outside for you. If you'll follow me," Emma told her.

Rachel followed her out to the car, which happened to be royal blue Toyota Prius. She didn't care about the model or color. She was just happy that it was hybrid and it had a GPS panel built-in to aid her on her drive to Malibu. She saw that an address was already programmed into the GPS.

"Ms. Fabray gave us her address, which I've already programmed for you. The other address programmed for you is the address to the hotel for your drive back. Don't worry about parking. The valet will take care of that for you. Is there anything else that require right now, Ms. Brice?" Emma asked.

"No, not that I can think of. Thank you. You've been a big help."

"It was our pleasure, Ms. Brice. Have a nice day in Malibu and don't forget to call if you need anything else. Have fun," Emma told her and then walked back into the hotel.

Rachel started the vehicle and made her way onto the roadway. She was excited. She was driving. And, she couldn't wait to get to Quinn's.