The rest of the week flies by, Bea and Debbie are falling back into the groove of their usual routine of work and school, with a few differences. For Deb, it's volunteering at the shelter after school. Allie recently took a temporary role as manager at the bar, meaning she hasn't been able to devote as much time there lately.
So Kaz had her reach out to see if Deb might be interested in helping out, making sure to check with Bea first. Bea had no objections, knowing how much Deb enjoyed the time she spent there with Allie and figuring it couldn't hurt for her to get some life experience.
For Bea, it's Allie. They haven't seen each other since the night they went bowling due to their busier schedules, but they've talked just about every day since. Bea can't remember the last time she talked to someone so much, if ever at all.
Their conversations aren't always particularly in-depth, usually a simple good morning text or telling each other about their days. But with each one, Bea feels they're getting closer and becoming better friends.
The other difference being her position at the salon, a nice change of pace for her. How Maxine managed to run the salon and work with her clients at the same time, Bea doesn't know. She's still getting accustomed to the extra responsibilities she has, but so far, her first days in charge have gone by without a single issue.
Before she knows it, Friday rolls around, and it's the night of Debbie's date with Brayden. She took off work early to help Deb pick something out to wear and style her hair for her.
"You're gonna have to pick eventually," Bea says, looking at the growing pile of clothes on her bed. Even with multiple trips between her closet and Bea's, Deb is still undecided.
Deb chews her bottom lip, arms crossed, "I can't decide. Nothing looks good on me."
"Everything looks great on you, Deb. Come on, pick."
"I don't know."
"Fine. Why don't you take a shower and think about it? You're running out of time to get ready."
While Deb showers, Bea gets started putting the clothes she pulled out back in the closet. She's almost finished when she hears the doorbell ring. She heads to the bathroom where Deb is showering, poking her head in the door.
"Deb, I heard the doorbell. Is that him?"
"It shouldn't be, he's really early if it is. Can you answer the door, please? Let him know I'll be ready soon. Nothing like last minute panic to decide what to wear," she says with a huff.
Bea leaves Deb to finish up then opens the front door, expecting to see a teenage boy, not Allie with Franky following closely behind. She stands to the side, letting them file into the house.
"What are you two doing here?"
"Deb didn't tell you? She asked if I had a dress she could borrow for tonight."
Allie holds the white dress on its hanger out as proof. Bea recognizes it almost immediately, visions of a beaten and bloodied Allie flashing through her head.
"She didn't mention it. Wait, I've seen that dress before."
"It's the one I was wearing at the club. Don't worry, I got all of the bloodstains out of it. We're not too late, are we? I just saw her message not too long ago."
"No, she's still getting ready. It's pretty, Deb will look great in it. And you, Franky? Why are you here?"
"What, am I not welcome here? I thought we were friends? That hurts my feelings, you know."
"Don't be dramatic."
"Fine. I really just came along for the ride. I want to see what the fuss is all about with this kid and make sure he's good enough for our Deb."
After hastily throwing on the very first outfit she picked and doing her hair and makeup, Debbie makes her way from the back of the house. She stops when she sees Franky standing in the living room.
"Oh no. Why are you here?"
"Didn't think I'd find out about your little date, huh? I caught Allie trying to sneak out of the house. Very rude, by the way. Why didn't you tell me about this guy?"
"I was going to."
"Just not tonight?"
She didn't tell her yet, remembering what Allie said about her and Franky giving Brayden a talk when they met him. She knows Allie was at least somewhat kidding, but she wouldn't put it past Franky, knowing how protective she can be.
"Franky, please, whatever you do, don't scare him. Allie, tell her to be nice."
"Don't worry, I'll keep my leash short. I'll lock her in a room if I have to."
"You can't make me do anything. Try it, Allie. See what happens."
Bea slides up next to Franky, putting a hand on her shoulder, "She'll be nice. Won't you, Franky?"
"You're lucky you're the only person I'm afraid of. I promise to behave, I just want to meet him, that's it. I probably won't even have to scare him, Red here can handle that. Now go put this on, let's see how it looks."
Franky takes the dress from Allie and passes it over to Deb. She emerges from her room just minutes later with it on.
She does a quick turn, "Well? How do I look?"
Bea walks over, putting her hands on Deb's shoulders, "Look at you. My beautiful little girl. You're not so little anymore."
Before she gets too choked up, Bea pulls herself away.
"Looking good, kiddo."
"Deb, wow. You look so pretty. His jaw is gonna drop."
"Thank you all."
"All right, picture time," Bea says, grabbing her phone from the kitchen table.
"Do we have to?"
"It's your first date, I want to remember this. At least just one."
"Fine."
"Hey, me and Allie want a picture too when you're done."
"Why don't we all just take one together?" Allie suggests, hearing no objections.
The four of them group together, Deb holds the phone out to take the picture. Once they're done, Bea goes with Deb to style her hair how she wanted originally.
About the time she's done, Franky announces Brayden's arrival after she hears a car pull up out front. She heads over to look out the window, seeing a black sedan that's definitely on the luxury side.
"Damn, he drives a nicer car than I do."
Bea and Deb come into the living room, Bea assures her one last time that she looks great before Deb answers the door. The trio stands back a bit to let Deb greet him once he walks in. She shuts the door behind him, giving him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Wow, you look beautiful, Debbie."
"Thank you. You look really handsome."
"Thanks."
Seeing Allie and Franky watching her expectantly, Deb brings Brayden further into the room to introduce him to everyone. She starts with Franky, who puts on a stern face, seemingly sizing him up.
She shakes his outstretched hand, squeezing with a little more force than necessary. He sees what she's doing, and he doesn't waver. She gives him a nod of approval before he turns to greet Allie.
A much more standard greeting, no attempts at intimidation on her part, "Don't worry about Franky. That tough act? All for show."
"Well thanks for telling him my secret, Allie."
Last but not least, he turns to Bea. She takes a moment to give him a once-over. He's dressed sharply, wearing slacks and a long-sleeved button shirt that compliments Debbie's outfit.
He's wearing cologne, not an offensive amount as most boys his age seem to wear. He looks her in the eye when he shakes her hand, a gesture she appreciates.
"Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Smith."
"You don't have to be so formal. Please, just call me Bea."
"Bea. Here, I brought this for you."
He hands over the small box he's been holding since he walked in. Bea takes the lid off to peek inside, a dozen macaroon cookies. She recognizes them as ones from a local bakery she frequents.
"Debbie said those are your favorite."
"Oh did she now? Hm. Are you trying to win me over?"
He laughs, putting his hands up, "Ah, you got me. Did it work?"
"I'd say it helps. So, what are your plans for tonight?"
"First, we're going to dinner at Maestro's, then going to a movie after that."
"That fancy Italian place? That's an expensive place for two kids. Can I ask what you do for work?"
"I really like Debbie, so I wanted to take her somewhere nice. As for work, I help manage a family business."
"And your car, is that a perk of the job?"
"No, I drive an old beater, honestly. It's my uncle's car. I kind of begged him to let me take it tonight."
Sensing that Deb is ready to go, Bea doesn't grill him any further, "Well, don't let us keep you any longer. You kids have fun."
"Thank you. What time do you want me to have her home?"
"What sounds reasonable to you?"
"Nine?" He cautiously offers.
"Playing it safe, I like that. How does ten sound?"
"That sounds great, thanks, Ms. Smi… Bea."
As they walk out the door, Franky whispers something to Deb that causes her to simultaneously laugh and blush.
"What did you just tell my daughter, Franky?" Bea asks, shutting the door behind them.
"Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about."
"See, telling me not to worry just makes me feel like I should."
"It was nothing bad, just hinted that maybe there's a secluded place I know of to park a car if the need arises."
"Hey, don't be putting ideas in my kid's head."
"I know where she's talking about, it's a good spot. Nice and private."
"Thanks, Allie, you're really helping."
"What, would you rather them get caught?"
"I'd rather them not do anything."
"That's too bad, Red. She's at that age. It's gonna happen at some point. Maybe tonight, who knows?"
"Thanks to you. If she gets pregnant, you're helping her raise the kid."
"Whoa, whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I'm not forcing them to do anything. I merely suggested a location, what happens after that is out of my hands. You know, teenage pregnancy is basically a rite of passage for kids these days."
"It most definitely is not."
"And that's that, I'm out," Allie puts her hands up removes herself from the conversation before it gets any weirder, "Remind me why we're friends again?"
She moves over to the window in time to watch Debbie and Brayden leave. She peeks out the blinds, watching as Brayden opens Debbie's car door for her, closing it after she gets in.
"It looks like he's a gentleman."
"Yeah, I don't like him," Franky says, shaking her head.
"You only spent five minutes around him."
"No, Franky's right," Bea agrees, "There's something about him I didn't like either. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something."
"I think you two are just being protective of Deb."
"Maybe, but I'll be keeping a close eye on him."
"Same here, Red."
"Well, you're both here now, I was about to make dinner. Do you guys want to stay? If you don't have plans?" Bea offers, secretly hoping Allie can stay.
She's been looking forward to seeing her again, not that she'll tell anybody that. Allie's in the same boat though.
"We don't have any plans. Franky, what do you think?"
"A meal I don't have to cook? Sign me up."
Bea heads into the kitchen to get a start on dinner.
Franky leans in close to Allie, "Weren't you supposed to have dinner with Kaz tonight?"
"We'll have to do it another time."
"Huh. The second person you've blown off to hang out with Red."
"Shut it. Bea, do you need any help?"
"Sure."
Allie walks into the kitchen to give her a hand with dinner. Franky watches from the table as they interact with each other, talking and laughing amongst themselves. She laughs in her head at how obviously into Bea Allie is.
Even though she hasn't admitted it, the signs are there, clear as day. She watches how Bea acts towards Allie, unable to get an accurate read on her.
Hm. Maybe she's not interested in Allie after all.
Reminding herself to tease Allie about it later, Franky gets up to take a peek at the CD collection Bea has at Bea's request.
"Do you have any music from this decade? I feel like I traveled back in time over here."
Bea simply shrugs, "I like the classics, so what?"
"You and Allie both. Too bad Kaz and Gidge aren't here, you four could bond over your love of old lady music."
"Say what you will, it's good music."
Despite her teasing, Franky still picks out a disk for them to listen to. Half an hour and a glass of wine for each of them later, dinner is served. As they eat, their conversation turns to telling stories about the first dates they ever went on. Franky tells of hers first.
"Sam Johnson was my first before I realized boys weren't my thing."
"What made you realize?" Bea asks, feeling curious.
"It's kind of a long story."
"We've got nothing but time."
"Okay, so after our date, Sam and I tried fooling around in his car. Key word is tried, I wasn't into it at all. In fact, I don't think I've ever been so turned off in my life. Kissing him was like making out with a dead fish."
"You would know," Allie mutters under her breath.
"I heard that. Moving on, he had his hands up my shirt and his tongue in my mouth, my panties were still drier than the fuckin' Sahara though. So we called it quits. I thought I was broken or something.
Fast forward a while, I'm at a house party. Truth or dare comes up, you know, as kids do. I pick dare and of course the boys want to see me and the other girl kiss. And you know me, I wasn't about to back down from a dare. The drinks I had probably had something to do with it.
That kiss, it was really something else. Anyway, later on in the night I bumped into the same girl. One thing led to another and we wound up in a bedroom, continuing what we started.
It was the same situation as with Sam, except this time it was like the flood-gates opened, if you know what I mean. It wasn't exactly rocket science to figure out why. Been on the big gay bus ever since."
"Huh. Thanks for that enlightening tale."
"No problem, I hope the story of my sexual awakening brought you some joy. You next, Allie."
"Hm, my first date was Nicki Anderson, she was actually my first girlfriend until she and her parents moved. Our families went to church together, and our parents wouldn't have approved so we had to pretend we were just friends to go on a date.
It was fun, there was no fooling around involved. Not that night, anyway. That's about it. All right, Bea, you're up."
"Honestly, I can't really remember his name or his face. I was Deb's age, and seventeen was a long time ago for me."
"Ain't that the truth."
"Franky, aren't you getting up there in age too?"
"I'm only twenty-eight. I still have my youth."
"That grey hair I see tells a different story."
"What? Where? Don't just sit there, pull it out."
"Nowhere, I'm kidding. But just you wait, it'll happen someday. Anyway, I do remember where he took me, Adam's restaurant actually reminded me a lot of it. Now this is gross, but the thing I remember most about that night was the color of his puke."
"He threw up? That sucks."
"Yeah, he even got some on my shoes. I don't know if he was nervous, or if he just got sick. We called it an early night and I never saw him again after that. There you have it, my first date."
"Well, don't leave us hanging. What color was it?"
Bea points at Allie's plate, "You know, it kind of looked like what you have on your plate, the colors are there. Imagine if it was half digested though."
Allie sets her fork down in the middle of a bite, "Appetite officially lost. Thanks, Bea."
"Hey, you wanted to know."
They soon finish eating, Allie manages to set aside the mental image Bea put into her head. Franky offers to wash the dishes once they're done.
"You don't have to. I can do it."
"Allie helped you with dinner, I should at least make myself useful. And I'm a firm believer that the cook shouldn't have to clean. If only somebody else believed that."
Allie points a thumb at herself, "Who, me? I just did dishes for you last night."
"We used paper plates, and all you washed was two forks."
"Still did them."
After taking care of said dishes, Franky joins Bea and Allie in the living room.
"Listen up, girls. I have some news," she announces from her spot on the recliner.
Allie raises a brow, "Yeah? What's up?"
"I'm ready to ask Gidget. I'm gonna pop the question next week."
"You finally worked up the courage?"
"Oh, don't be mistaken. I'm still scared shitless."
"I don't think you have anything to worry about. She loves you."
"But what if she says no?"
"Well, have you talked about marriage before? Spending your lives together?" Bea chimes in.
"Yeah. She's open to the idea."
"If she's open to it, and you've talked about it, what do you need to worry about?"
"Maybe I'm just scared. What if it's too soon? You think it's too soon? Do you have any advice, you know, since you're old and wise?"
"Very funny. I wouldn't say I'm an expert on marriage, so I don't think I can tell you if it's too soon or not. But I will say if you feel deep-down like it's the right time, it's the right time."
"Thanks, Red, that helps. Knew you were a good friend."
"I try. So how are you gonna do it? Do you have it all planned out?"
"Yeah, I have a plan."
"You want to share with the class?"
"That depends on you, Allie. You're really bad at keeping secrets."
"I know. But this one I can keep, I promise."
"Okay, I'm trusting you. I swear, Allie, if you let it slip…"
"I won't. Do we need to pinky promise? That's sacred, you know. I can't break that."
"No, I'll just take your word for it. So the plan is nothing too special, I'm taking her to our favorite restaurant. It's probably clichè, but I'm gonna have the ring brought to the table on a platter. Should be a nice surprise for her.
I thought about putting it in her glass of champagne, but I was afraid she might actually drink it. After that, I'm not sure. I'll just see how the night goes."
"I'm really happy for you."
"That's great, Franky. I'm excited for you."
"Thanks, you guys. So, who's gonna be my maid of honor?"
The hours pass by, and it's time for Franky and Allie to head home. Franky promises to let Bea know what happens with her proposal.
Once they're gone, Bea changes into more comfortable clothes and settles on the couch with a cup of tea. She's in the middle of digging into her box of macaroons when she hears Brayden pull up out front.
She checks the time, it's a quarter to ten. He must be trying to make a good impression. She stands up, making her way to look out the window.
She watches as he opens Deb's car door, offering a hand for her to take. He leads her to the front of the house. They stand close, he seems to ask her something, Deb excitedly nods her head. Before he turns to leave, he quickly kisses her on the lips. The way Debbie lights up brings a smile to Bea's face.
She sits back down to wait for Deb to come up. She walks through the door, an 'I've just been kissed' look on her face.
"Well? How was it?"
"It was so good, dinner was really nice. We ended up skipping the movie, we went to get ice cream and just walked around the park for a while."
Deb breaks out into a wide smile before continuing, "He, um, asked me to be his girlfriend."
"You said yes, if that kiss was anything to go on."
"You saw that? Why were you watching?"
"To make sure he kept his hands to himself. I know how boys are, I was seventeen once too, you know."
"I know. But he wouldn't make me do anything. Even then, I'm old enough to do... stuff."
"The fact that you call it stuff says otherwise. I can't believe it, your first boyfriend."
"I know, right? Okay, I gotta go tell Allie and Franky. And the rest of my friends."
"Okay, don't stay up too late."
The rest of the weekend comes and goes. Harry's trial is getting ever closer. Bea's gotten a few updates from her lawyer, and things are looking great for the case against him.
Despite that, she still has this fear in the back of her mind that things are going to go wrong somehow. She's worried that the evidence she collected will be destroyed or tampered with, that the charges against him won't hold up. She knows it's not rational to think this way, but she can't stop herself from doing it.
A few days later, it's a slow afternoon at the salon, a pleasant change from the hectic beginning of this week. The salon had been swamped lately, with wedding season in full swing. Just yesterday, they had a full bridal party come in. Bea's in the back office, looking to see what supplies they're running low on when Liz appears in the doorway.
"Bea, there's someone here to see you. Her name's Allie, she doesn't have an appointment but she's hoping you can get her in if you have the time."
"Thanks, Liz. Let her know I'll be with her in a few minutes."
Bea finishes taking inventory and goes out to greet Allie.
"Hey, I thought you were going to let me know when you were ready to come by?"
Allie looks up from the magazine she's reading through, "I know I was going to, and I should've called, but I was in the neighborhood and something came up last minute. If you're busy though..."
Bea waves her off, "I have an hour to kill before my next appointment. Come have a seat."
Allie gets situated in the chair while Bea picks out some supplies to do what she has in mind for her. She gets started by first washing Allie's hair.
It's an innocent act, but it's not long until the feeling of Bea's fingers massaging her scalp has Allie's mind going to far, far less innocent places. She finds herself squirming in her seat, biting the insides of her cheeks to keep from making any embarrassing noises.
Get a grip, there's nothing sexy about hair washing.
She tries thinking of something, anything to keep her mind off of the very physical reaction she's having right now. Bea seems to notice, taking her hands away to look down at her.
"Are you okay?"
Allie opens her eyes slowly, seriously hoping she hasn't been found out. She quickly comes up with an excuse.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little ticklish is all."
"Oh. Hang in there, I'm almost done."
True to her word, Bea finishes washing her hair shortly after then dries it. Before she starts, she checks with Allie one last time.
"I trust you. Do what you think is best."
With that, Bea gets to work.
"Thanks for getting me in on such short notice. Sorry to drop in on you like this."
"It's not a problem at all. What came up last minute for you?"
"I have a date tonight. So whatever you do, please don't mess up my hair."
A date. At the mention of that, Bea feels a pang that's almost like… jealousy? Strange. She pushes the feeling aside.
"I'll try my best. Who are you going out with? Same girl as last time?"
"Different one this time. I actually never heard from that girl again. Anyway, her name is Sara, she used to work at the bar with me."
"Another date. You're popular when it comes to people wanting to take you out."
"It really doesn't happen all that often."
"No? That's surprising. Tell me about her."
"Not much to tell, really. We worked together for about six months or so. We get on well, and she's been wanting to take me out to dinner but I've turned her down, I try not to date coworkers. She started a new job somewhere else a while back and she asked me if I'm free tonight.
I figured it couldn't hurt to go, I don't remember the last time someone took me out. And if it doesn't work out, at least we won't be in the awkward position of having to work together still."
"I'm sure you'll have a good time."
"Yeah, but if it's a total disaster, can you do me a favor and bail me out? Fake an emergency or something?"
Bea starts to laugh it off, seeing Allie isn't joking, "Oh, you're serious. You don't think it'll go well?"
"I don't know, maybe I'm just nervous. I haven't been on an actual date in so long, I'm afraid I'll make a fool out of myself."
"Sure. Text me 911 and I'll come up with something."
"Thanks, I knew you were a good friend. What about you, you have any fun plans tonight?"
"Not really, I'm just relaxing at home. Deb is staying with a friend tonight, so I've got the house to myself. I do have a bottle of wine calling my name though, it's been a long week. I might try finishing the drawing I've been working on."
"Another drawing. For me, perhaps?"
"Not this time, I think I want to keep this one. I'll give you another one soon."
"I'm looking forward to it."
The time flies by, and Bea is finally done. She did just what she said she would. She touched up the color of Allie's hair, and ended up cutting it shorter than she planned, but it still came out how she had hoped. If anything, it only further accentuates Allie's beauty.
Allie is very impressed with Bea's handiwork. She looks herself over in the mirror, running a hand through her hair, "I can't remember the last time I had it this short. Franky's gonna flip when she sees it."
"How did I do?"
"You did a wonderful job. It looks great, I'm definitely recommending you to everyone I know. So, what do I owe you for this?"
"Nothing at all. I meant it when I said no charge."
"I can't not pay you something."
"I'm not taking any money from you."
To make her point, Bea calls across the room, "Liz, this one is a freebie. Don't take one cent from Allie."
"Her money is no good here. Got it, Bea."
"Fine. Thanks again. I'll see you later."
"Let me know how your date goes?"
"I will."
Allie walks over to the counter by the front door of the salon. While out of Bea's sight, she tries slipping Liz a few bills, almost double what they'd normally charge.
"Do me a favor, make sure Bea gets these?"
Liz slides them back across the counter, "You heard what she said."
"Yeah, I know, but please do it? I insist."
Allie slides the money back yet again. Liz gives in this time, it's clear she won't leave without paying.
"Are you sure you want to give her this much?"
"Positive."
"I'll get them to her. You have a lovely day."
"You too, um… I didn't catch your name."
"It's Liz."
"Liz."
Once Allie leaves, Bea walks over after she finishes cleaning up her station, "She paid me, didn't she?"
Liz hands over the cash, "And then some. She's generous. Is she a friend of yours?"
"Yeah, she's a good friend."
"She's quite pretty."
"Yeah, I guess she is."
"You guess?"
"Why do you say it like that?"
"You were looking at her like you've been trapped in the desert for weeks, and she's a tall glass of water."
"What? I was not."
"Whatever you say, I won't argue with you. She's special to you, isn't she?"
"She's... I don't know, Liz. I wouldn't say she's special to me, but I think about her a lot and I really care about her. It's weird, we've only known each other for a few weeks, it's crazy how close we've gotten."
"That's how these things can happen, Love. It's great that you have a close friend like her. Maybe something more?"
Bea shrugs, "I don't know. That's the hard part. It's pretty confusing to me."
"What's there to be confused about?"
"She's a woman, for one thing."
"Let me ask you a question. Does she make you happy?"
"She does."
"Then that's all you need to know. It doesn't matter what she is, it just matters how she makes you feel."
"It's that simple, huh?"
"I'd like to think so."
The rest of Bea's day drags on, but closing time finally comes. She gets home just in time to see Deb and visit with her a bit before she goes off with her friend. Once she leaves, Bea opens a bottle of wine and pours herself a glass.
She turns on some music for background noise, hunts down her sketchbook, then settles on the couch. Her latest drawing she's been working on is of herself, Franky, Allie, and Deb. The picture the four of them took the night of Deb's date with Brayden. She only has to finish drawing Allie in, which has taken the most amount of time.
She would start, not like how it came out, erase, and restart. She takes time studying the picture, analyzing Allie's face and taking in all the details before putting pencil to paper. Forty-five minutes later, she finishes. It's her best draft yet, turning out just how she wanted.
She has yet to hear from Allie, she considers sending her a message but decides against it, not wanting to interrupt if she's having a good time. Another almost hour later, she's about to shower after eating dinner, opting for pizza tonight instead of cooking.
She still hasn't heard from Allie, she can't resist the urge to text her. She picks her phone up to do just that, it rings as soon as her hand touches it. She answers, seeing Allie's name on screen.
"Hey, I was just about to text you. How did it go?"
Instead of hearing Allie's typically chipper voice coming through the phone, Bea hears quite the opposite.
"Not great. A lot worse than I thought it would. I bought some wine, I need a drink. Do you mind if I come over?"
"Of course not."
"Good, because I'm already on my way."
"Are you all right? You sound down."
"Yeah, I'll tell you about it when I get there."
"Okay. Just let yourself in, I'll be in the shower. If you're hungry, there's pizza in the kitchen."
"Great, I'm starving, actually. I'll see you soon."
Bea gets off the phone and takes a quick shower, changing into more comfortable clothes after that. She leaves her room and heads to the kitchen, finding Allie at the table with a glass of wine in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.
The first thing Bea notices is how absolutely stunning she looks. Breathtaking, she might say. Allie looks great in her normal clothes, but tonight she took it up a notch or two, she's dressed to impress. A fresh coat of nail polish, hair and makeup styled, and a form-fitting black dress on top of that.
Bea feels a bit self-conscious sporting a tank top, sweatpants, and her favorite pair of slippers Deb bought for her last Christmas. They look like reindeer, complete with googly eyes and red noses.
Allie notices her walk in and looks up, sending a smirk her way, "Hi."
"Hi. Um... wow."
"Is something wrong?"
"No. Allie, you look... gosh, you look so pretty tonight."
"Why thank you. You don't think I overdressed? Franky convinced me to go all out."
"Not at all. You look great, seriously."
"I have an awesome hairdresser to thank for that. And you don't look so bad yourself. I love your slippers, they're super cute."
"Thanks."
There's two bottles of wine next to Allie on the table. Seeing Bea's quizzical look, she explains.
"Don't judge, it's been one of those nights."
"No judgement here."
Bea takes one of the open bottles, refilling Allie's now empty glass and her own before sitting across from her at the table. She gives her a few minutes to finish eating before getting into the details of her date.
Allie sighs before telling of how it went awry, "So, it turns out Sara is married."
"Oh, no."
"Oh, yeah. And not only is she married, she's married to a man."
"You're kidding."
"I wish. She told me she's single and I never saw a ring. She lied to me, and that's something I don't tolerate."
"How did you find out she's married?"
"It was one hell of a coincidence, I still can't believe it. Her husband, probably ex by now, just happened to come with his friends to the restaurant we were at. He came over to our table, apparently she told him she had to work late tonight. I felt bad for the guy, it seems like he had no idea she isn't straight. He was heartbroken, some tears were shed.
Oh, did I mention they have a kid together? I guess I don't know Sara as well as I thought. I got out of there before it got any weirder. She called me after I left, she tried explaining why she never told her husband, she was afraid of how he would react. I get being afraid of coming out, but she's been going behind his back for years, that's not right at all.
She even had the audacity to ask if I want to go out another time. I told her to lose my number. I swear, that's the most awkward situation I've ever been in."
Bea takes in all this information, trying and failing to stifle a laugh at the absurdity of the situation. She almost spits out her wine.
"I'm sorry, I feel bad for laughing."
"It's okay, it's funny now that I think about it, what are the odds of my first date in a long time turning out like that? Looks like I'm staying out of the dating pool for now, back to the single life it is. Enough about me, did anything interesting happen to you today?"
"Something did, actually. After you left the salon, guess what happened?"
"You know what, hold that thought for a minute. Can I borrow some clothes from you? I gotta get out of this dress, it's way too tight."
Allie excuses herself to use the bathroom. Bea hands her an extra shirt and pair of pajama pants she has once she gets out.
"No slippers, sorry."
"No problem."
When Allie returns in her new attire, she pours herself one more glass of wine then joins Bea on the couch.
"Where were we? Right, did you also have a date with someone who's a dirty, dirty liar?"
Bea shakes her head, "Not quite, but it has something to do with a date. Someone asked me out again."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah. A client asked if I want to go for a drink next week."
"Wow, do tell. Who's the lucky guy? Guy this time?"
"He's a guy."
"Does this guy have a name?"
"Alex."
"Age? Is he younger, older?"
"Younger. He's thirty-one."
"Robbing the cradle, nice."
"It's not that big of an age difference. Do you want me to tell you or not?"
"Carry on. What's the story between you?"
"Well, I've been cutting his hair for a while, I can't remember exactly how long. A couple of years or so."
"So you have some history."
"I guess you can say that. We do talk a lot. And he's always been kind of a flirt with me, but I never responded to it because of you know who. He came back in just after I went back to work, and he noticed I don't wear a ring anymore. I told him I'm divorced now.
Ever since that he's upped the flirting, and I mean he is good looking, charming too. He seems like a decent guy, we even have a bit in common. I said I'd think about it but I haven't decided.
I don't know if I'm ready, what if he wants to turn it into a relationship? I don't think I can do that yet. Any helpful advice in that head of yours?"
"You should go for it. I'm no expert, but he seems genuinely interested in you. You know it doesn't have to turn into a relationship if you don't want it to. If you're not ready, you're not ready. Who knows, you two might hit it off. Just go out, one night. And if it doesn't work out, you can join me on the single train."
"Yeah, maybe. I just kind of wonder what he sees in me, I'm nothing spectacular."
"Get that self-doubt out of here, it's nonsense. You don't know how great you are. You're pretty damn awesome, you know."
"You think so?"
"Duh. You're smart, funny, kind, a joy to be around. And with your looks on top of that, you're the total package. Any guy would be lucky to go out with you."
"Thanks. My looks though? They're not much to brag about."
"There's that doubt again. Only an idiot couldn't see that's what stands out the most about you."
"You're not just saying that because we're friends, are you?"
"No, I'm not just saying that. You, my friend, are hot as hell."
She touches Bea's leg with a finger then shakes her hand around as if she was just burned, "See?"
Bea slaps her playfully on the arm, "Stop it, you're gonna make me blush. That's gotta be the wine talking."
"This isn't the wine talking. It's true, Bea. You don't even realize it, do you?"
"Realize what?"
"How beautiful you are. You definitely don't get told that enough."
"I'm not all that."
"You are though. You're so beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman I've ever met. I've always thought so. I mean it, I want you to know that."
Allie looks up, meeting Bea's gaze. Those brilliant eyes of hers linger long enough to make Bea nervous. She usually finds herself shying away when Allie meets her eyes, but tonight she can't look away, she feels almost entranced.
She tries to decipher the look Allie has, her eyes are full of something Bea can't recognize. She finally brings herself to break the eye contact.
"Allie? You in there?"
"Yeah, sorry. What I said, was that too far? Just ignore me."
"No, you're fine, it just makes me happy how highly you think of me."
"You're my best friend, of course I think that of you. So, do you have a picture of this Alex? I want to know if he's good enough for you."
"You can tell that from a picture?" Bea asks as she walks into the kitchen, picking her phone up from the table.
"Oh yeah. It's one of my many talents."
"Sure it is. All right, take a look."
She hands the phone over, a picture of Alex on the screen.
"Hm. Tall, handsome. If I were straight, yeah, I'd go for it."
"Would you now?"
"Yep."
"So he passes?"
"I give him my approval. Now what? Are you gonna go?"
"I still don't know."
"Do it. Put yourself out there. Do I have to steal your phone and tell him you'll go?"
"No need. I just did."
"Yay! Proud of you."
Bea sets her phone on the arm of the couch, sighing, "God, what am I doing, Allie? This is crazy, right? Going out this soon? It hasn't even been a month since Harry."
"I don't think it's crazy at all. The way I see it, you're just living your life, something you should have been able to do a long time ago."
"Yeah, you're right."
"I'm really happy for you."
"Thank you. Well, there's still another bottle of wine, should we finish it?"
"Trying to get me drunk?"
"Totally."
"I would, but I still have to drive home."
"Why don't you just stay here? I mean... if you want to."
"You want me to?"
"If you want to, yeah. You can take Deb's room, she wouldn't mind."
"Are you sure? I don't wanna intrude."
"Yes, I'm sure. You're not intruding on anything, I didn't have any plans to begin with. I'm glad to have you here."
"Say no more, then. How about a refill?"
Allie gets up and fills their glasses again. They spend time just chatting and drinking wine. During a quiet moment between them, Bea speaks up. Allie seems a bit bummed about her date.
"I'm sorry things didn't go well with Sara tonight."
"I'm not."
"You're not? How come?"
"Because if it went well with her, I wouldn't get to be here hanging out with you."
"Really?"
"Really. There's nowhere I'd rather be right now."
"What makes you say that?"
"Just how I feel."
"I'm glad you're here."
"Me too."
"I have a question for you."
"I might have an answer, if you're lucky."
"Where would you be right now if it worked out with Sara?"
"Do you really want to know?"
Bea nods in response.
"Okay. Either her bed or mine. But with the 'fuck me' eyes she was giving all night, one of our cars would be a safe bet."
Bea starts to look a touch uncomfortable at that statement.
"Too much? You asked."
"No, it's just sex… it's not really my thing. I never enjoyed it much."
"Maybe you've just been doing it with the wrong people," Allie replies in a confident tone, the alcohol in her system probably being a factor.
That's too much for Bea to handle, she chokes on the drink she just took, sending her into a coughing fit. Allie pats her on the back a few times, figuring now is a good time to change the subject. Before she gives Bea a heart attack or something. Or worse, says something she can't take back.
You haven't done it with me, comes to mind.
At one point, Bea heads off to the bathroom. Allie takes a seat on the couch, something catching her eye on the table in front of it. Bea's open sketchbook underneath some papers. She moves them aside to look at the sketch, seeing Bea, Deb, Franky, and finally, herself.
The picture they all took together the night of Deb's date with Brayden. She's in awe, it's a near-perfect copy of her face. She knew Bea was talented, but this? This is on another level. Feeling curious, Allie flips through the book, seeing several drawings of just her, each one more detailed than the last.
Bea comes back from the bathroom, witnessing Allie looking through her sketchbook. She feels relieved it's her recent sketch she's looking at. That relief dies out after she sits back down and Allie flips to the next page, pointing the book towards her.
"You drew me."
"You probably think that's really weird of me."
"I don't. I'm kind of flattered, you make me look good. Did you draw these by memory, or just pictures?"
"I use pictures for reference, but it's mostly from memory."
"You think about me pretty often, then?"
"I... I think about you a lot."
"So you do care about me, I knew it."
"Did you think I didn't care about you?"
"No, just glad I'm on your mind. I think about you a lot too."
"You do?"
"Yeah. I think about you, I think about Deb, and all the other people important to me."
"Good to know. Let's settle the score, why don't you draw me for a change?" Bea suggests, handing Allie a pencil.
"Are you sure? I don't want to waste a page."
"I can always buy another book."
"If you insist. Fair warning, I can't draw for shit."
"Show me."
Ten minutes later, Allie has done her best interpretation of Bea, but she was right, she can't draw for shit. She turns the book towards Bea to show her work.
"Huh. So that's what you think I look like."
"You know it's not. I told you I can't draw. Not everyone can be a good artist like you."
"I think you did a good job. You really captured my eyes. Those are eyes, right?"
"Now you're just being mean."
"I'm just giving you a hard time. I'll keep it, maybe I'll hang it up."
"Really?"
"I don't see why not. You hung mine up, I could at least return the favor."
Allie passes the book and pencil back, "Your turn."
"I've already drawn you."
"Yeah, but I have a new haircut now."
"If you really want me to, fine."
"How do you want me? Should I pose like this? Or something like this?"
Allie demonstrates a couple of different poses, getting a laugh from Bea in return.
"You can just sit there."
"Fine."
Bea gets started, it takes her almost no time, since drawing Allie has become almost second nature to her. By the time they finish drawing each other and polish off that second bottle of wine, it's almost midnight.
"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to call it a night," Allie says, yawning into her hand.
"Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I'll make the bed for you."
Bea heads to Deb's room to put some fresh sheets on the bed for Allie. She bids her good night, locking up the house before heading to bed herself.
Once she lies down, she can't sleep, thinking about how beautiful Allie thinks she is and how highly she thinks of her. Since those compliments earlier in the night, she's feeling things she can't quite describe. More often than not, she's feeling things she can't quite describe when it comes to Allie.
Allie also can't sleep, thinking about the moment she and Bea had on the couch. And how close she came to telling her she's starting to like her in more than just a friendly manner in that moment. That might not have gone well.
She can't seem to get Bea out of her head. When she was on that date with Sara tonight, she was thinking about how she wished she was here with Bea instead. And when it went to hell with her, Bea was the first person she wanted to call, the first person she wanted to see.
Allie's no fool, she's well aware that her feelings for Bea are growing quickly, and there's nothing she can do about it. Bea made it pretty clear she's not interested in her, and now that Alex could be a factor, the chances of something happening between them is nil.
She promised to respect Bea's wishes of being friends, she intends to make good on that, no matter how hard it is. And hard it is indeed.