Previously on Tassels:
Clexa went through a lot of life changes
* Lexa left MPC in search of something more
* Clarke left The Ark to pursue her art and commissions with the Sinclairs
* Lexa and Indra had a heart to heart about her career, and the blessing to leave Tassels was imparted by Indra, which Lexa accepted gratefully
* Bill was not just some creep hanging around Tassels- he offers Lexa a job with him
Ranya is real
This is what happens next...
"I like sitting next to pretty ladies, but I'm not going lie that I like you as my bartender better." Bruce smiled sadly at the brunette that sat beside him at the counter. "There was a time you told me you weren't leaving us- that your life would be boring without me."
She smiled and shook her head a bit. "You remember conversations you hold in here?" She teased. "I'm going to miss you, too, Bruce." Lexa lifted her glass to toast with him. "And my life will definitely be boring without you."
Bruce took down his drink before holding a burp in and opening his eyes wide. "Does this mean I'll have to pay for every drink now?"
Lexa laughed. "Come again?" Indra sounded off behind him and placed her hands on her hips as she waited for the man to respond. He only swallowed nervously and turned around to order another drink.
"He paid for every drink." The brunette reassured her future ex-employer while Bruce conversed with the bartender. "He was too drunk to realize I charged for the ones I promised were free."
Indra seemed satisfied for a moment before she knitted her brows at her worker. "Half-price?"
"On the cheap stuff." Lexa shrugged innocently as Indra shook her head with a feigned snarl and walked away.
Anya and Raven sat on the edge of the stage as they smiled proudly at their achievement. Their guests and their usuals mingled around the space happily. Though the occasion could be seen as the end of an era, nobody seemed to exude such a feeling. Except for the man that conversed with Lexa. He seemed devastated.
They high-fived each other as they continued to people-watch.
Bellamy and Echo laughed as they danced to an undanceable hip hop song that randomly played over the speakers. Lincoln's DJ skills were not as sharp as his band skills, apparently.
Clarke crossed the room towards her girlfriend after she excused herself from the small group of people that had gathered around her and Bill.
When she stood directly behind the brunette, she gave her fair warning by squeezing her hips. Not a second later, she angled her head to kiss the girl's cheek. "Is it weird that I was drinking with your future boss?" She whispered in her ear before accepting the girl's arms when she swiveled around. She fit perfectly in between her legs, and she couldn't deny that it was exactly where she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
'What a sap.' She thought to herself.
"It doesn't hurt one bit- I bet you were talking me up." She grinned.
"Maybe." Clarke retorted. "Maybe not." She smiled before setting her sights on the awfully quiet patron. "So, Bruce, are you ready to start paying off those tabs?" She teased the man.
"I knew it!" He nearly fell off his stool.
The girls laughed at him as he left a bill on the counter and walked towards the men's room.
Clarke wasted no time in taking his place before pivoting around to look at the mirrors behind the bar. A smile broke out on her face, and she could feel Lexa's inquiring gaze beside her.
"Who would have thought that a girl from D.C., the bartender of this little place, would become the love of my life." She grinned a lopsided smile at her brunette.
Lexa returned the smile with a tenderness not missed by Clarke. "You've got yourself to thank for that one. If you hadn't decided to leave Virginia, we never would have met."
The blonde nodded in agreement before flagging the bartender down for two drinks. "We have to toast to all of it, then."
The pair smiled widely at each other. "I love you, Virginia." Lexa initiated as she moved her glass towards her girlfriend's.
"Cheers, D.C."
Eight Weeks Later
Clarke woke up to an empty bed. The spot beside her, which she ran her hand over reflexively, was cold to the touch- she had missed Lexa on her way out.
Feeling a little bummed, she got out of the tangled-up sheets and covers in search of coffee.
Her brunette had left her a single-serving cup in the chamber, ready for her finger to give the command.
She smiled widely at the note held by a rogue 'I Love LA' magnet on the fridge. Smartphones, texts, phone calls, none of that mattered when your girl was an old-fashioned fan of writing.
Clarke read and re-read the note while she drank her coffee, and again after, as she readied her supplies and picked up on her latest commission.
Her mind wandered haphazardly for the first few minutes, never actually coming around full circle to the task at hand. She must have brushed through the same spot fifteen times before the paint started to smudge into a color that caught her attention.
Cringing at her work, or lack thereof, she sighed out loud and resigned to placing the brush in its holder so she could regroup herself.
When she realized there was little to no chance of that happening, she grabbed her phone.
She texted her girlfriend before sending another text to the Sinclairs, and made quick work of a hot shower.
Her phone began buzzing as soon as she wrapped the towel around her dripping hair. She knew who it would be, so she hurried towards it and swiped to answer.
"Jacapo." She began.
The man on the other end cleared his throat. "Clarke, is everything alright? Your text was very concerning."
She inhaled quietly before sitting down in her loveseat. "Everything's great, Jacapo."
"Then why is this your last commission? Are we giving you too many? Not enough? Is it the feedback you are receiving?" He stammered.
Clarke shook her head even though he wouldn't see her. "It has nothing to do with that. I am eternally grateful for what you and Callie have done for me. And, the critics don't concern me as much as my growing apathy towards the pieces I have been working on lately."
There was silence on both ends before the man spoke again. "How long have you felt this?"
The girl shrugged. "A few weeks now." She could almost see Jacapo's understanding eyes looking back at her.
"Do you need some time away from this to think about it?" He offered.
"No." She responded rather quickly. "I have been thinking about it a lot, and I've made up my mind. This will be last one. I only wanted to let you know so you can find another artist to partner with, and so you don't send any more inquiries my way. I also wanted to make sure we parted on good terms- I assure you, I have nothing but great things to say when it comes to you and Callie."
"Thank you, Clarke." Jacapo paused. "You have been one of the best to work with. It's unfortunate we have to see you go, but a career based on necessity rarely ends well. You must do what fulfills you."
"That's the idea." Clarke nodded. "Thank you, again. The delivery for this one will not be affected; you can assure your patron that it is still on schedule."
They shared mutual goodbyes before the call was ended.
Clarke let out a shaky sigh as she sunk further into the pillowy softness of the sofa. The anxious energy that shook her body made her unsure about what to do while she waited for Lexa to return.
She stayed where she was for a while, only moving to reach for the remote so she could watch daytime television.
Bored out of her mind, she eventually decided to continue her work on the canvas she had previously abandoned. She still had a spot to work into fruition after having made a mess of it.
"Wow." Lexa smiled when she caught sight of her girl asleep on the sofa. Making sure not to disturb her, she closed the door quietly behind her.
She contemplated her options quietly for a few minutes. Part of her wanted to wake her up to let her know what her day had brought on, but a bigger part of her wanted to let the blonde sleep.
Lexa opted for letting her sleep.
When she returned to the living room from her shower, she figured it was a great time to get to working on what was the biggest project of her life thus far. Bill and his team had come up with a great idea for a film, and with their first draft in her possession, she was eager to dig into it.
Her feet sat crossed on the edge of the center table while her fingers worked their magic on the keyboard. Every now and then, she would stop mid-sentence to glance over at the sleeping girl not two feet away and smiled.
"I'll never get used to being woken up by your creepy staring." Clarke mumbled with her eyes still closed.
Lexa chuckled and looked over at her in disbelief. "Rude."
The blonde smiled sleepily. "I love it, though."
"Better." Lexa nodded in satisfaction. "Sorry I woke you."
Clarke shook her head and let loose a yawn before stretching the length of the sofa. "I should probably get up; I have no idea how long I've been out."
The brunette wanted to listen to Clarke, but all she heard was her heart beating faster as she saw the girl's t-shirt ride up and expose her midriff. The short booty shorts she sported also complicated matters and forced her eyes further down the expanse of smooth skin.
Catching wind of what was happening, Clarke grinned devilishly and exaggerated another stretch. "My eyes are up here, Silva." She mouthed at the end of her sensual sprawl.
Hearing the playful tone pulled Lexa out of her thoughts and away from racy images of their bodies entangled and writhing. She swallowed her excitement and grinned back at her girlfriend. "You look tantalizing this evening, Ms. Griffin. I couldn't help but stare."
"I'll forgive you if you feed me. I'm hungry."
"Who said I want to be forgiven?" Lexa challenged with a teasing glance.
Lexa didn't feed her for some time later.
Instead, they sat wrapped in sheets, if only to allow their damp bodies time to adjust to the air around them, while they shared a pint of fudge brownie ice cream.
Stolen glances still elicited frisky smiles. Occasional kisses halted any further indulgence in the chocolatey heaven of their treat but allowed for a sweeter journey down slopes and valleys of necks.
A soft moan escaped Clarke when the brunette nipped at her pulse point. "How was your day?" She managed while her hands abandoned the empty container on her nightstand.
"Great, but I'm having a better time right now." Lexa murmured over the girl's skin, drawing a wave of goosebumps to the surface.
The girl chuckled before embracing her girlfriend in a bear hug, forcing her lips away from her neck. "Same."
"So, let's get back to it, then." Lexa smiled.
Clarke reciprocated the expression before shaking her head. "I wanted to talk to you about something before you distracted me."
"You mean when you distracted me." The brunette corrected.
Clarke only grinned back at her girl. "Um, I…"
The girl's hesitation made Lexa worry enough to be serious- she pulled back enough to look at the blue eyes before her.
"I won't be working with the Sinclairs anymore." Clarke finally dropped the information on the girl before sighing.
"Did they let you go?" Lexa's protective tone made the blonde smile tenderly at her before she shook her head. "Then what happened?"
Clarke looked at the tiniest beauty mark above Lexa's upper lip. It was no bigger than a speck of dust, but it attracted Clarke's eyes every time, and often served as a distraction or better yet, a focus point for her thoughts. "I requested to leave."
Lexa nearly rolled over in shock as she knitted her brows together in serious pensive thought. "What? Why? You love working with them."
The other girl nodded. "I know. I did. I do." She paused for a second. "I just haven't been entirely satisfied with it anymore. I love art. I love the content I was working on, in the beginning, but in all honesty, it all became rather mundane." She shrugged absentmindedly. "I lost motivation, I lost the excitement, the fire. I didn't know why at first, and I even became upset with myself, but…"
"You accomplished one goal, and now you crave another." Lexa finished, fully understanding her.
Clarke nodded slowly. "I've been feeling bored lately, and it's not because I fell out of love with art. I just want to do something more."
It was Lexa's turn to nod. They sat in silence for a few seconds before the brunette stroked the girl's arm softly. "What's you plan? I know you've thought it through."
"I have." Clarke nodded. "I want to open my own gallery and art school."
Lexa smiled widely at her girlfriend.
"Thanks for meeting me up, babe." Clarke smiled widely as she made room for her girlfriend. "I even waited on ordering the onion rings until you texted me that you were on your way."
Lexa shook her head and chuckled softly before sliding in beside the blonde. "So nice of you." She teased with a small peck to her cheek. "Sorry I'm late."
Clarke dismissed her with a small shrug. "I know you're busy with your scrip editing and Bill, and I even debated on whether or not I should call you, but I had all these thoughts that needed to be either encouraged or shot down." She looked hopefully at her brunette and smiled when the girl nodded back at her.
They proceeded to discuss the plan that Clarke had outlined on a worn-out spiraled notebook, careful not to get too much grease on the paper.
After the deliberation, and Clarke's questioning glance, Lexa smiled softly. A million thoughts raced in her head, and she was upset because some of them seemed rather selfish.
"Say something, Lexa." Clarke smiled nervously. "Your eyes are betraying your silence." She joked.
Lexa nodded. "I think it's a great idea, babe."
"But?"
"No, but." Lexa shook her head and peeled her eyes away enough to collect her thoughts and a cold onion ring. "It's just that this would require you to stay back east while you settled everything." She sighed as she chewed the stale treat.
Clarke nodded in understanding. "I know, but that shouldn't be more than a month or so, it'll fly by. You'll see."
"I know." Lexa agreed. "I'm just not ready to sleep alone for long periods of time." She grinned to show Clarke she only half meant it.
"D.C., you've gone soft, and I'm letting all your friends know it."
"Jerk." She leaned into kiss her. "You can hardly fault me for enjoying myself with you. In bed. Out of it. All the time."
Clarke chuckled softly and hid her reddened cheeks from her girlfriend before she replied. "Ditto."
After a few quiet moments between them, Clarke looked seriously at the brunette. "I'm going to do this, and you're going to focus on that script, and before you know it, we will be enjoying the fruits of our labor. Together. Just like we planned." She assured her.
"I'm in, Clarke. No matter what."
"Thank you, Mrs. Abbot. I appreciate you doing this for me. I promise to keep in touch as soon as I know for sure." Clarke smiled at the older lady before she handed her the keys.
"I take it you found yourself a place out west, dear?"
"Yes. I have."
"I bet it's pricey." The older woman pried.
Clarke smiled. "It is, but luckily I just delivered one of my first commissions to a couple here in Virginia. If I keep at it that way, I will have no issue paying my rent in Los Angeles, Mrs. Abbot."
"Good to hear dear." She bundled herself in the sweater as a particularly crisp breeze nipped at her skin. "Now, this little old lady is much too fragile for this gloomy weather." She placed they keys in her pockets. "I may decide to join you in California." Mrs. Abbot joked.
The blonde laughed before she nodded. "I can't say I don't love the weather out there." She added. "Thank you again, Mrs. Abbot. I will have my friend, Wells, drop by from time to time."
"You alright, Clarke?" Wells asked with a hand on her shoulder. They stood side by side on the steps to her childhood home, but she hadn't budged for some time.
She shook herself and nodded. "Yeah." She smiled gratefully up at him. "Thanks for meeting me. What do you say we get to clearing out this house so I can make some money off it?"
Wells nodded with a wide smile. "You got it."
They spent the entire day dividing the belongings she left behind into different piles. Most of it, Clarke decided she would donate to a Goodwill, but Wells had insisted she donate the furniture to master woodworkers, so he created a new pile for her. So far, it was the largest pile.
"Mrs. Abbot did a good job of keeping this place dust-free, at least." Wells laughed as Clarke huffed out loud. Had they even made a dent? She suspected it would take them much longer than anticipated to get everything ready for listing, and it frustrated her.
In between breaks and sharing take out on the floor of her living room, they worked away to clear the house for the realtors and appraisers.
By the time it was said and done, it took the pair nearly a week as they alternated between dividing, loading and unloading, and scrubbing walls and doors clean. It was a process Clarke would soon rather forget, but all in all, she had a feeling it was exactly the thing she needed.
Closure.
"Well, looks like the buyers are itching to get this done so as soon as you sign the paperwork and you turn over the keys, it's all theirs." Her realtor smiled at her from across the desk.
The blonde nodded. "Thanks again for working on this with me after such a long time."
"We said we would wait for the best time, this is it. You're getting much more over the initial asking price, it's a good chunk of change for you, and now you won't have to worry about paying the mortgage and your neighbors to keep it up."
"Yeah." Clarke read over the paperwork and put the pen to work. "You're right." She pushed the signed papers back towards the man. "It's all theirs." She handed him her copies of the keys.
"Congrats on the sell, Clarke." He shook her hand.
One week later, Clarke sat in her rental, a distance from the house she had grown up in and smiled as she saw two young children running up the steps with boxes in their arms. Their parents smiled and walked behind them with their own load of belongings.
Satisfied with her decision, Clarke drove off.
TBC...
Thank you, all, for your continued interest in this story. During the past few months I have had a chance to really sit back, take care of myself, and reevaluate my writing/reading. I learned that I was always...ALWAYS disappointed when I followed a story in progress that I enjoyed, only for it to die out and fizzle out because the author did not continue on with it. I rarely submitted myself to reading WIP, but I picked a lot of them up, and some great ones have been left up in the air, much to my dismay. I hope they continue on and wrap those up because they are truly worth it. Life happens, and it is understandable to need a break though, so be nice to those who cannot commit to finishing. Anyway, if I am trying to say anything here it's that I am grateful for the loyal ones who are still with me, even after my hiatus. I promise to continue with this piece, which I hold near and dear to my heart, and give you guys an ending! Thank you for reading!