Title: Minors and Pros
Rating: R, for mild sexuality and mild language
Summary: A between-the-scenes romance of Cammie and Rachel in 'Coyote Ugly'
Disclaimer: No one mentioned herein belongs to me; I'm making no money off this, no copyright infringement intended, just borrowing them for a while.
Author's Notes: not beautifully crafted, nor my best work. The pacing in uneven/sloppy, lots of little loopholes
"I played for the minors but never went pro."
Oh, that stung. My jaw clenched, and I walked by Cammie coldly, not missing her eyes flick to me to see my response.
Lil walked over, both of us ostensibly tending bar, but I knew from her commiserating glance and that fact that she placed herself between Cammie and I that she felt sympathy for me.
Well, why shouldn't she? Cammie and I had a fling that lasted for two months. I was totally into her, had actually begun to believe I might be falling in love with her, when all of a sudden she drops me for some fucking asshole because I don't have a dick.
Course, the minors-pro went along with second base-home. Maybe it was easier to dump me 'cause we never slept together.
Oh yeah, I'm bitter, why do you ask?
Later we were closing up. Jersey, the new girl (and I hadn't missed how Cammie had been flirting with her), had left in a hurry, as had the bouncer. It was Cammie, Lil and I.
"Lil, can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked suddenly, as we were leaving.
"Sure, Rachel," she answered, somewhat perplexed. I walked in front of her, and Cammie fell into step behind us.
As soon as we were out of the building I stepped aside, clearly motioning for Cammie to go ahead without us. Her eyes narrowed, suspicious, but she did so, walking around back to her car.
"I just wanted to thank you, Lil, for 'shielding' me from Cammie tonight." I knew the bitterness was rearing its ugly head, but I couldn't help myself.
"No problem, babe," Lil answered back, cool as ever. "I do sympathize with you, Rachel, because I know how hard you took it when she walked. For the record, I think Cammie's a true blond for letting you get away."
My head cocked to one side, intrigued. Before I could help myself, I reached up and pulled Lil's head down to mine. Our lips met in a passionate kiss as I heard a car race by. It was Cammie, and by the looks of it (as we jerked apart), she was furious.
I couldn't help it, I started snickering. Lil did, too, and we stood there for about five minutes laughing. As we walked to our cars, I stopped Lil with a hand.
"Lil..." I said softly. "For the record, I think Zoe's a fool for letting you go."
She froze. "Thanks, Rach," she finally said with an obvious effort.
When I finally got to my place that night, Cammie was waiting outside the door.
"What do you want?" I asked without preamble as I shouldered her aside to open my door. It had been like that since the breakup. No personal chats, no amicable notices, no nothing. Not in private, anyways.
She all but snarled at me as we walked into my flat. "How long have you been screwing Lil?" she demanded, angry beyond all she should be.
Is she jealous? I wondered. Then, an irresistible idea occurred to me.
I cut loose with a slow, sexy smile as I turned around to come face to face with her. "That, my dear, is none of your business."
She stared at me for a moment, crimson. Then, without a word, she turned on her heel, flung open the door, and walked out, slamming it as she went.
The next night, Cammie breezed in late.
"Lil, I need to talk to you," she all but demanded of Lil. Lil's head cocked. "Come into my 'office'," she said, opening the door into her little anteroom and waving Cammie in.
Cammie stormed through, and the door shut with an audible click, but I could hear the voices faintly through the door. Unrepentantly, I listened.
"How long have you been sleeping with Rachel?" she snapped.
Lil snorted. "We aren't," she said softly. "But you were certainly willing to believe we had."
I moved away after that, a smug feeling in my chest. Was it possible she was jealous? Furthermore, although I regretted making Cammie think so, it was nice to know that maybe she wasn't as over me as she thought.
Five minutes later, they were out, and Cammie dispensed with all pleasantries as she grabbed my shirt and dragged me into the bathroom. "Why the hell did you make me believe you and Lil were together?"
"Watch the top, babe," I advised her as I tried to straighten it out. "I never actually said I did, you jumped to the conclusion." I turned to go, but her hand shot out and turned me around. My lips curled back as I backed her up against a wall.
"Don't give me that bullshit," she grated out. We were eye to eye, nose to nose. "Why the hell did you make me think you were seeing each other?" Now she sounded bewildered and not a little hurt.
"Why the hell do you care?" I demanded back. Then, I kissed her.
I fastened my lips over hers almost hungrily. I put my arms on either side of her shoulders, and pressed out bodies together, spine arching. We opened our mouths in tandem and spent a few moments dueling with our tongues. God, she tasted so sweet...I'd forgotten.
"Rachel? Cammie?" Lil's voice intruded.
I pulled away, shaken, and looked into Cammie's liquid blue eyes. Then I turned and left.
"Rachel! Rachel, help!" Cammie screamed.
I desperately tried to force my way to Cammie, but the overexcited crowd prevented me. I cursed the men but couldn't force my way through, catching brief glimpses of Cammie's horrified face.
Then Violet was singing and somehow, Cammie was able to force her way through the mob to me, and I to her, and we were all right.
I brought her home to my place that night. She had confessed to me (in a dull, careless sort of way) that she and her flavor of the week had broken up.
I slept in my room that night, she on my bed. And when I woke up at nine in the morning, she was curled around me.
And it felt so right I couldn't protest.
"It was so cute."
Cammie again. This time, after Jer-no, Violet's near-disastrous audition. We had gone to my place after work, for the hell of it. Lil was-well, hopefully working things out with Zoe. She'd closed the bar for the first time in all my years there.
"I mean, you just leaned over and went," and here she waved her arms around madly, "and he just went-backwards."
"Cammie, darlin'," I drawled. "Being able to knock a guy out isn't exactly a great skill."
She pouted at me for a moment. Then she opened her mouth again.
"Do you think she's pretty?"
I blinked at Cammie, totally confused. "Who?"
"Violet."
"Jersey?" I thought for a moment. "In that naive, virgin kinda way, yeah."
"'Cause I saw that look you gave her."
"Look?"
"Yeah, that look. Of approval."
Scanning my memory, I finally hit on what she must be talking about.
"Cammie, hun? She's taken. And even I wouldn't scrap with Kevin." My eyes narrowed. "Again, why do you care?"
"Because," she muttered sensually, shifting closer to me. "I do," as she straddled my lap. My brain froze on overload at the sensations. "I just do," she murmured as she captured my lips with her own.
Then the paralysis was off as I shoved her off me. "Get off!" I hissed, angrier at myself for allowing this to happen than with her for doing it. "I learned my lesson the first time! You think I'm gonna let you break my heart again?" This last in an agonized whimper.
"Rachel..." she whispered, her voice painful as well. "I pushed you away...because I was afraid."
"Of me?" A horrified whisper. "I'd never hurt you!"
"Of what you could be to me!" she snapped back. "I've never fallen in love before, and...." She stopped dead as a horrified look passed across her face.
"You love me?" A half-grin ghosted across my face as I stepped close to her and gently ran my palm down her face.
She closed her eyes. "Take a chance?" she whispered, pleadingly. I smirked.
"Always."
And I stepped close to her and kissed her.
As I lay in bed that night, spooned around Cammie, I had only one thought. I wonder if Lil and Zoe have straightened their shit out yet?
But that could wait for tomorrow. And burying my face in Cammie's hair, I drifted asleep.
