It was amusing to see the change.
You remember a few months ago, when your co-host and bestfriend (but who needs enemies) Santana Lopez was so adamant in saying no to the new animal show on your Friday timeslot.
In a way, you understood where Santana is coming from.
Santana had always prided herself for going after the hard-hitting news, asking the tough questions, delving deeper into the scandals plaguing the country. She thinks that going with fluff pieces like this is going to make the show you both worked so hard for look "soft."
It was a fact that you and Santana have a news show is because both of you are scorching hot. Even with law degrees, you from Yale and her from Columbia, it's tough to earn the respect that your other male colleagues could easily get. It took two years for people to focus on your reports instead of your face and Santana's boobs.
This was more than just a show, this is both your baby. But while you like to take a step back and let your young reporters learn from mistake, working with Santana is like having a dragon constantly breathing down your neck. You don't know how many editors have quit or have been in psych eval from working with her.
She is a perfectionist and demands everyone around her to be in the same level. It is both a blessing and a curse. You often catch her late at night in her office, Louboutins already kicked to the side, hair already up in a bun and those thick glasses already framing her face, still buried in endless paperworks that you wish someone could pull her out of this.
Santana doesn't fuck around either. Like everything in her life, the girl she's going to date should be at least a certified 20 with an Ivy league degree. You see how most women just bailed out, none of them can deal with Santana's demands. Until you just see Santana just sort of gave up on finding that one. Instead, her life just revolves around the show.
But the message was sent from the higher ups, and nobody on their right mind has ever dared say no to your network president Sue Sylvester yet. Sue despite of all her psychopathic tendencies and eccentricities is damn good at her job.
And if she thinks it's a good boost for both your news show and this upcoming animal show, then who are both of you to judge?
Santana had just begrudgingly agreed to do so.
You remember how Santana told you ahead of time, that it will all be on you and she has no plan on caring about this segment.
Friday comes along and you just roll your eyes at how deadset Santana looks on looking like she doesn't give a fuck.
You introduce the doctor, Dr. Brittany Pierce with her long list of credentials. She worked in wildlife conservation in Africa, volunteered in Australia during the forest fires, went to the Galapagos island, even went to Antarctica to study Emperor penguins. Now you're understanding Sue's point of hiring her. This girl is as accomplished as they come.
"Please welcome the new host of our new show, Animal Times, Dr. Brittany Pierce."
You could hear Santana scoff next to you and you hope that the camera didn't catch that.
You expect some haughty know it all, or at least someone kooky, but you didn't expect her to look like this.
And from the soft gasp coming from Santana, you know she didn't expect it too.
Dr. Brittany Pierce looks so gorgeous. You swore Sue probably just hired a supermodel to pose as this Dr. Pierce to get viewers to tune in. Blonde hair up in a high ponytail, sparkling blue eyes and the brightest smile in the world, add to that, an outfit that looks like she's coming from a Safari trip.
She has a face meant to be in front of the cameras. And if that's not cute enough, add the cute koala cuddling to her.
Even Santana seems impress as you see her straighten up on her seat.
Dr. Brittany Pierce is sweet, barely talk about herself before talking about her new animal show. She beamed when she says it's about teaching everyone how every creature no matter how big and small are special.
Then, the interview turned to the cuddly star, Kiara the koala.
"Common misconception is that koala are bears, when actually they're marsupials. Animals that have babies in their pouches." She says brightly, smiling at Kiara while the furry cutie cling tighter on to her human.
You can't help but aww at the adorable koala, while Santana can't help but aww at the blonde doctor. "But unlike their other Australian buddy, the kangaroos, their pouches actually faces downwards."
There was just something about Brittany Pierce. She was just charming, that smile and sparkling blue eyes. There was this light in her eyes and her love for the koala is just too adorable.
"Kiara here is as lovable as she can be, would you like to hold her?" The doctor blinks those blue eyes at Santana.
"Can I hold you instead?"
"Wait what?" The genuine smile on Brittany's face quickly turned into confusion.
Never in your wildest dream, you'll see Santana Lopez suma cum laude of Columbia law and top ten in the bar play dumb. If this keeps up, this is going to be fun.
"What?"
And as you watch the exchange, all you could say is, "Oh Boy."
After Brittany's first interview, Santana gave you a pat and a look that said, "Back off, blonde cutie is mine."
You were about to head to the dressing room to congratulate Dr. Pierce when surprise, surprise you see your bestfriend standing by the doorway. You took a couple of steps back,
"Hey, ummm Dr. Pierce."
"Oh hi. Ummm Santana?" Brittany hands the koala to her assistant. "You don't have to call me Dr. Pierce, Brittany is okay."
"Well then, Brittany. I just want to say, you did pretty good out there. And Kiara too."
"Yeah, I think she's a natural. Aren't you, girl?" Brittany rubs Kiara's furry head. "Let's just say, Kiara has all the koalafications."
"Wait wha- Oh, yes, koalafication… qualification, yes, yes. Now I get it."
"Thanks for having me on the show. It's really nerve wrecking being in front of the cameras but you guys look so natural."
"Well, me and Quinn have been doing it for like-" She turned around, eyes growing wide as you caught her there. "I got to go, Dr. Pierce. I'll see you next Friday?"
"Oh, Brittany, call me Brittany."
"That was nothing. I was just congratulating her. Totally professional," Santana defended herself, her red heeled stilettos clanking loudly against the tile floor.
It doesn't get any better cause you remember a few Fridays ago,
"So, fun fact, the lizard needs to be in the right temperature so that their food can digest."
"Speaking of temperature… is it me or is getting hot in here? do you mind if I take off my jacket?"
"W-well…"
You see Brittany's blue eyes go huge as Santana just stripped off her jacket, looking like she's in some Trey Songz music video. This was bizarre because you know how much Santana invest on her outfits to make her look respected. You see Dr. Pierce's face turned bright pink and you're sure that she's not the only one, probably everyone watching on screen has nutted. Watching Santana like this, reminded you why she made it in Maxim's hot 100 list, three years in the row.
(number 34, 27 and 9 if you're wondering.)
It was more than that, you notice Santana gets tongue tied too when Dr. Pierce would give her the softest look.
"This cutie right here from what I read, is going to get really big around 100 kilograms. Most Jaguars live in Brazil-" You saw Santana just froze as she sees the Doctor's blue eyes just gleaming back at her.
"Wait… Did… did I get it right?"
"Wait… what?"
Santana looks away to hide her smile, "I mean the jaguar facts, doctor?"
Brittany's lips curve into the softest, most proud smile, "Oh yeah… yeah. I just love listening to your voice."
You try to disappear because you feel so irrelevant when sparks are flying with these two. You turned over to your director Mercedes, who looks like she's wondering why you even have a teleprompter.
"Don't get fooled because they're adorable furballs now, but they're gonna grow up to be one of the deadliest predators in the jungle. Aren't you guys?" Brittany coos on them, giving each kitten a kiss.
"I wish it's another kitten you're kissing."
"What?"
Then, there was another Wednesday, not a Friday that Mercedes, your director and the only one who can handle you and Santana looked like she's ready to commit murder.
"Wait…" Santana looks like about to go nuts on that production meeting. "we have a segment with Brit- I mean Dr. Pierce today? It's Wednesday, how come I never heard of this? Quinn? Do you know about this?"
Mercedes doesn't look too amused, waving Santana off, "It's just a 5 minute segment, San. Look, it's all over social media that Brittany and her partner Mike-"
"Partner?" Santana let out a scoff that defeats all scoffs, "I wouldn't call it that."
"Fine. Co- host?"
"He doesn't even talk."
"Fine. Person she works with."
"Yeah I guess we can work with that. What did they do?"
"Hey guys!" Brittany smiling brightly, waving happily at them. Cheeks a little red from being under the sun, hair everywhere, while she's out on by a swamp. She's too pretty and Santana look like she's scared that swamp people would pull Brittany to the water.
You elbowed Santana who looks just fixated on the screen, Tina Cohen- Chang was almost spouting gibberish and you just caught wow. So freaking huge. Croc. Brittany. Awesome.
Brittany just laughs in amusement, the girl shaking her head in disbelief.
"Well, I'll give credit where credit is due. I would probably be in that big boy's belly if I wasn't for my guy Mike."
Santana completely lost the tangent here and swing for the most irrelevant part of what Brittany said, "Wait… your guy?"
You could see Mercedes just shaking her head, not even bothering to point at the teleprompter anymore.
The gorgeous blonde just blinks in confusion, "My co host here in Animal Time, Dr. Mike Chang."
"So, when you mean your guy, do you mean like the guy you're dating?"
"Ummm…" It was rare to see Brittany looked extra confused, but that's how her expression look right now. "Ummm no?"
"Oh okay, just making sure… I mean for our audiences, not that I'm wondering or anything-"
"So, Dr. Pierce- "You finally decide to step up. "Other than this crocodile like you said is the size of a car, what else can you tell us about him?"
"Well, we are receiving reports that some farmers are reporting that their animals have been missing. Yeah, when he saw me, it looks like he wants to eat me or something."
"Idon'tblamehim…"
"Santana." You hissed warningly back at her. "Well, thanks for coming in to talk to us, can't wait to see you this Friday."
"Oh yes, I have a new friend that I'm pretty sure everyone will love."
"Alright. Stay safe out there, and see you on Friday."
"See you!" Brittany waves cutely. "Bye Santana, Bye Quinn."
Santana scoffs haughtily, punching you on your gut, "She said bye to me first."
"You know what, S. I'm just wondering why you can't just ask her out?"
Santana settled on her office chair, kicking out her Louboutin's under her desk and pulling out her glasses from her oversized LV purse. "Ask who out?"
"Brittany… you're obviously into her."
Your bestfriend's jaw just dropped, as if you just exposed her deepest, darkest secret in social media, "Says who?"
"Says everybody who got eyes. Every Friday, Brittana is trending on twitter."
"What's a Brittana?"
"That's your portmanteau. Brittany and Santana."
"You know people, they like to ship everybody together."
"So, you're not interested?"
"She's not my type."
Who needs a nose job when you got Pinocchio lying her ass over here?
"Really?"
"I mean so, she's incredibly beautiful and her eyes just sparkles. And maybe she looks real adorable when she's talking to the animals, but I don't like her like that."
For a lawyer, Santana sure is horrible at defending herself.
"Okay fine."
"-She looks like the cutest damn thing in her little safari outfit every Friday, doesn't mean I get curious on how she looks without it."
"Yup. You're not interested at all." You're dripping with sarcasm and hopefully Santana realizes it. "Santana, just ask her out."
"Weren't you listening to a thing I'm saying, I'm not interested. And besides, I don't think we have anything in common."
There it is, it's small and uncertain, but it's there, the irrational fear that she's not good enough. It's kind of unwarranted really, she is Santana Lopez and despite her reputation as a bitch, you know how many men and women would let her red heeled stilettos on their necks just for a chance with her.
But it's always her fear, that once they know her, that they really knew her that the whole idea of what makes her fascinating would just go poof and these people would know that beyond the bitch persona, is someone who works incredibly hard, who cries at the silliest things and who got such bad eyesight that she needs thick nerd glasses.
But Santana would rather get hated and respected as being a bitch, than being pitied for the insecure girl that she is.
"Well, you wouldn't know until you try, right?"
"I don't know, Rachel. They're all… ummm." You shrug, not really understanding what your fiancée is trying to make you choose between these two cakes. You're always more of the inside that counts (how they damn taste) than how pretty a cake looks. "-Gorgeous?"
"Oh c'mon, Quinnie. I even narrowed it down to five designs," Your future wife squeezes right next to you in your queen size, IPAD still in her hand. Your bed could fit five Rachel Berrys but here she is burrowing next to you, like how Jack should have burrowed next to Rose on that damn floating wood.
While your bestfriend is in denial phase in her five stages of having a crush, your fiancée made it your life goal to figure out which cake will be best for your wedding.
Speaking of the denier, here she is blasting your phone. You hold out your finger to shush your wife, who just roll her eyes and points defiantly at the metallic cake, or was it an ombre cake?
"Santana?"
"So, who is this Kitty Wilde? Kitty Wilde, what the fuck name is that? A stripper?" You heard her spouting from the other line.
"Wait… wait… Rach, do you know a Kitty Wilde?"
"Can't believe you guys don't know her. She's like this generation's Britney Spears."
"The I'm a slave for you Britney or the gimme more Britney?"
Rachel just rolls her eyes, unamused by the distraction, "Does it matter? It's Britney… bitch."
"Well, this fake ass Britney don't know nothing about animals."
Well, this is interesting than the multi tier ombre cake.
"Animals?"
"Ummmm… I might be watching a clip of animal time in youtube?"
Silence. Embarrassing silence on the other line.
"By accident of course, not like I search for it."
"Sure, you didn't."
"She's flirting nonstop with Brittany. She should be talking about the animals. There's a meerkat name Sebastian with all his meerkat friends, but all she does is just do this giggle. And her giggle sounds so stupid, Quinn. Even the meerkats are looking at her funny."
You could feel an impending headache coming.
"If I were you, Santana, I would go guest myself in this animal time show and blow Dr. Pierce's mind with your animal knowledge." Rachel joins in the conversation.
"Who is that? Is that your little troll?"
"You can call me all you want, Santana but I got my girl and you're just whining cause you can't get yours."
"Don't you have to go sing a song with Justin Timberlake or something?"
You just roll your eyes, but Rachel ignores the taunt and instead she hums, "Nothing I can see but you…"
"Shut up. And Oh my God!" Santana gasps from the other line.
"What?"
There's that silence again, background noise of Brittany and some giggling on the other line.
"Just… nothing… I was just okay… are these people blind?"
"Which people?"
"I just you know… accidentally scrolled down the comments and like people think they're cute together."
"Is that jealousy I hear?" You give your fiancée a warning look. But Rachel, pointing to another cake that once again look similar to the other one. "So, what are you going to do about it?"
Well, there you go, challenge accepted.
"Did you do this?"
She storms into your office around noon that day, her words were threatening but her tone doesn't match it.
"Did what?"
"Put me to guest star in Animal Time?"
"What? Why would you say that?"
Yes, you did but you will carry this secret to your grave. You know your bestfriend more than anybody else in the world, and no matter how many innuendos she slips everytime the gorgeous doctor is here, you know she will never have the guts to ask her out.
It was kind of cute really, you went out this morning to the wildlife zoo where Brittany works and ask her if Santana could guest in her show. And you haven't seen anything as adorable as Brittany S. Pierce blushing so hard, burying her face in the bear cub's brown fur.
You thought it was extra cute when Brittany said, she has been dying to ask Santana to be on the show, but she always think that Santana is too boujee to hangout with animals.
"It's just…"
"What? I think you'll do good, animals can be cute."
"I need to research on animals. I can't look like an idiot in front of Brittany. I just-"
"Need to relax that's what you need to do. When was the last time you went out on a date?"
"Date?"
Oops… I did it again.
"Did I say date? I mean what date are you going to be showing on?"
"Well, we are meeting at the downtown aquarium tonight for like a rehearsal or something. Oh my god, what am I going to wear? I can't just dress like this. I need to you know wear casual but not too casual, like I don't know."
"Relax, you'll do good."
You haven't heard from Santana since Friday night and its already Sunday. To say you're not worried is kind of an understatement. You both had that rule after watching an episode of law and order: SVU to check on each other after a date.
You want to call but at the same time, you don't want to come up as the psycho clingy bestfriend who see on lifetime movies.
It was Rachel who just waves you off, saying,
"Maybe the doctor is just you know sexing her so good. I mean she did wrestle a 10 foot crocodile so if that's not telling of her stamina, I don't know what is."
"She did not wrestle a crocodile." You corrected Rachel.
"Yup. You're right, she's wrestling Santana."
Even with the seaweed mask on her face that made her look like an extra in the Aquaman movie, you look completely at awe and surprise at Rachel, when did your fiancée turned into such a smartass?
You finally receive a message around 10 ish Sunday night, you try to be subtle and not to low key hint that you're worried if the good doctor didn't bury her underneath the penguin exhibit.
Q: How's the date?
S: J
A freaking smiley face? What is she? 16? Did Brittany wrestled her so good, she can barely type out a three letter word?
Q: That good, huh?
S: There's a lot to talk about tomorrow.
The second Santana stepped in the office; everyone was immediately put on high alert. There is something very, very different with her. Is it her outfit? Did she do something with her face?
And when she disappeared in her office, everyone wonders what it was, until someone whispered,
"She's smiling."
You followed her to her office, catching that ridiculous dimpled smile as she's reading a text.
"That good, huh?"
"Ummm… what are you talking about?"
Santana is playing dumb again, but that smile is enough evidence that she knows exactly what you're talking about.
"So, spill?"
"Spill what?"
"What happened on the date?"