Chapter 20
The following week…
Backstage, Rachel had pinned her wig in place and was about to begin applying her makeup when the familiar strains of "Defying Gravity" filled the small dressing room. Rachel reached for her handbag (which hadn't been locked away, yet), extracted her cell phone, and concernedly answered, "Kurt, is everything OK?"
"Everything's fine," Kurt assured her. "Max finished his dinner, and he's currently watching 'Spongebob'. Blaine just got home from work."
"Thanks for the update, Kurt, but you know we go on shortly," Rachel reminded him. "I'll have to let you go…"
Before she could end the call, Kurt hastily interjected, "Rachel, Blaine has the most exciting news!"
"That's nice, Kurt," Rachel patiently replied. "You can tell me all about it, tomorrow; I really do have to go, now…"
"Don't you want to know now?" Kurt posed.
Realizing she had no chance of escaping without Kurt revealing his "exciting news", Rachel glanced at the clock on the wall to check the time before patiently replying, "Sure, Kurt…What is it?"
"Well…" Kurt paused briefly (for dramatic effect) before breathlessly explaining, "there's a new attorney in the office, and Blaine told him all about you, and he's dying to meet you…wait, what Blaine?"
Kurt paused, apparently having a sidebar conversation with Blaine. He quickly returned to the call, "…Blaine says he's not 'dying', just interested…that's good, too…interested…"
"What are you rambling about, Kurt?" Rachel suspiciously posed.
"Rachel," Kurt admonished, "you haven't gone on a date in ages, and Blaine has a perfectly nice man who wants to meet you, and you should definitely meet him…unless there's something going on with you and your 'baby-daddy'…"
"Um…no…Noah and I aren't seeing each other…as a couple, that is," Rachel hastily protested.
"Well, then; it's all settled," Kurt decided, remaining near the phone as he called out to Blaine, "Honey, Rachel agreed to meet that man…Ben, is it? Yeah, Monday should be perfect…you'll let him know tomorrow…thanks Babe!"
Returning to a dumbfounded Rachel, he confirmed, "Blaine will set this up for Monday, and he'll text you the number, in case you don't want him to have yours, yet."
"Kurt, I'm just not comfortable with this…what if he's a stalker…" Rachel pondered (clearly grasping at straws).
Laughing, Kurt countered, "Rachel, you know full well Blaine would never fix you up with somebody who wasn't a 'good guy'. All you need to do is call him, figure out where to meet for dinner, and engage a sitter for Max."
"Can't you or Blaine stay with Max?" Rachel negotiated. "After all, Monday's pretty short notice, and David has other obligations on Mondays…"
Kurt grinned evilly, knowing full well that everybody was busy (or, at least, would tell Rachel as much), "Sorry, Diva, but Blaine and I have other plans…and Blaine mentioned that Sue's taking Jean to Toronto for a long weekend, so they won't be available, either." He paused (as if deep in thought), before proposing, "What about Noah? I'm sure he'd drop whatever he's doing to stay with Max."
Embarrassed at the prospect, Rachel posed, "Don't you think that would be a little…um…awkward, Kurt?"
"I don't see why," Kurt slyly retorted. "After all, there's nothing going on between you two…at least, that's what you said a minute ago."
"That's right," Rachel (surprisingly reluctantly) confirmed, "nothing at all." She paused, mulling the situation over before confirming, "I'll call him tomorrow. If he can't make it, I suppose Blaine will have to cancel the date."
"I'm sure that won't be necessary," Kurt assured her.
"I really do have to go now, Kurt," Rachel excused herself. "I have to finish getting ready and warm up."
"OK, Diva…love ya', bye!" Kurt ended his part of the call.
"Good night, Kurt," Rachel replied, replacing her cell phone in her handbag. Returning to the task at hand, she began to apply her makeup, sighing quietly and shaking her head ruefully as she contemplated what she had just agreed to do.
The following afternoon, Rachel's paperwork was interrupted by the telephone. Placing her pen on the table, she walked over to the phone, noted the caller ID, and answered, "Hi, Noah!"
"Hey, Rach!" Noah replied. "How are you?"
"Fine, thank you, Noah," Rachel politely countered. "And you?"
"Great, actually; thanks." Noah admitted. "Recording session went really well today. There's another one in about 20 minutes, so I thought I'd catch Max, now, if he's home."
"He's presently immersed in his Legos," Rachel described with a giggle. "I'll go get him…" She paused briefly before hesitantly asking, "Noah, if you don't have plans next Monday evening, would you mind sitting for Max?"
"Nope; I'm free, Rach," Noah confirmed. "Thanks for asking. What's up?"
"We have an extra rehearsal. Some of the scenes deed to be re-blocked." She explained. "Danny Jackson...he's our 'Nicely Nicely Johnson'…sprained his ankle. The doctor cleared him to go back to work, but he's in a boot and we have to make some adjustments to accommodate him."
"That's too bad," Noah commiserated. "Sometimes a sprain's more painful than a fracture. When d'you think you'll be home?"
"Well…after rehearsal, I'm going out for dinner…" Rachel alluded.
"With some of your cast mates?" Noah queried.
Rachel sighed, guiltily explaining, "No, actually, Blaine fixed me up with an attorney from his office."
Noah bristled at the thought of Rachel with another man. "A date…really?" he brusquely reacted.
"Do you have some objection to that, Noah?" Rachel cautiously responded.
Thinking, "Fuck yeah, I do!" he hastily replied "Of course not, Rachel. I'm just a little…um…surprised, is all."
More disappointed than she'd admit (even to herself) that he didn't protest, Rachel explained, "Kurt can be very persistent, and, he's right; I haven't gone on a date in ages."
"What do you know about this guy?" Noah suspiciously prodded.
"Not much," Rachel confirmed. "I spoke with him once; he seems nice. What's with the 'third degree', anyway?"
"I'm just lookin' out for Max," Noah defensively retorted. "Can't let just anybody into his life."
"Noah, this is only one date, not a lifetime commitment," Rachel reminded him.
Sighing, Noah acquiesced, "When do you need me?"
"If you can be here by five, that would be perfect," Rachel responded. "David can't stay much past that. I'll have something prepared for dinner; all you'll have to do is heat it up."
Noah probed, "When d' you think you'll be home?"
"Probably no later than nine," Rachel surmised.
"Well, I'll be happy to take care of Max, and I hope you have a great time," Noah offered, thinking "NOT!"
"Thanks, Noah; I really appreciate it," Rachel accepted. "Hold on, and I'll bring Max to the phone..."
His conversation with Max was the only remaining bright spot in Noah's day. He argued with the sound technician and dismissed the band, ending the session with little accomplished. Upon arriving home, Sam's greeting was met with silence. Placing his briefcase on the nearest table, he entered the kitchen, helped himself to a bottle of beer, and joined Sam in the living room.
"What's goin' on?" Sam prodded. "You didn't even say 'hello'."
Barely glancing up, Noah muttered, "Hello", and retreated again into himself.
"Seriously, Puck; what's up?" Sam concernedly inquired. "Problems at work?"
"I'm babysitting for Max on Monday," Noah emotionlessly responded.
"What's wrong with that?" Sam posed. "You love that kid, and he's nuts about you."
"I'm helping Rachel out because she has a date…" he muttered.
Recalling the conversation at the picnic, Sam did his best not to grin. "And here we go…" he mused.
"What's wrong with that?" Sam posed. "She's a free agent…"
Noah glowered wordlessly at Sam before taking another sip of beer.
"Well, she is," Sam patiently reminded Noah. "So are you. What's stopping you from…" Sam paused for dramatic effect, (pseudo-) realizing "You like her. Bro, you should totally ask her out…ya' know…stake your claim." He caught Noah's eye (which was challenging at the moment) before reminding him, "If you don't, somebody's bound to…"
"Sammy, since when do I do girlfriends?" Noah challenged.
"Have you gone out with anyone else since you met her…well, them?" Sam posed.
"No; I s'pose not," Noah reluctantly answered.
"Do you have a good time with them?" Sam continued.
"Of course," Noah defensively retorted. "What's your point?"
"Do you think you'd enjoy her company as much if Max wasn't there?" Sam persisted.
"Yeah," Noah honestly replied.
"Then ask her out, already," Sam encouraged.
"What if she says 'no'?" Noah hesitantly pondered. "I don't want to jeopardize my relationship with Max. That kid means the world to me."
"Don't worry; she won't," Sam reassured him. "I've seen how she looks at you. She wants this as much as you do."
"I can't just dump this on her when she gets home," Noah contemplated.
"You'll figure it out, Bro," Sam assured him. "Anyway, I've gotta run. I'm on my way to pick up Quinn."
"Good luck with that, Sammy," Noah jibed.
"Back at ya', Puck," Sam replied, laughing as he exited.