old, but i'm not that old; young, but i'm not that bold
By the time Clem had finished applying makeup, curling and styling Beth's hair, and giving her clothes to try on before deciding together what she looked best in, Beth barely recognized herself. She wore her own black boots and leggings, but Clem leant her a tight-fitting top that matched the light layer of eyeshadow on her eyelids. Beth even allowed her cleavage to make a small appearance, which she'd never done before, nor had she even known she could have cleavage with the right kind of bra and blouse combination. Clem had somehow managed to manipulate Beth's hair into appearing like it had beach waves with a few natural curls, and her blue eyes looked even larger and rounder than usual with her thick, long eyelashes darkened and curled. Her cheekbones were accentuated and her cheeks were dusted with color. Clem had wanted to apply lipstick, but Beth opted for subtle liner and gloss instead.
Beth shoved her clothes back into their drawers and then sat on the bed and watched Clem finish getting ready. She added the final touches to her makeup and tried on a couple of different outfits, asking for Beth's opinion before settling on a short dress and flats. When she was finished, her tawny skin was glowing, eyebrows perfectly sculpted and filled in, and the almond shape of her eyes was dramatized with a thick line of black eyeliner that she'd winged outward. The girls bounced between the bathroom and Beth's bedroom for a bit, changing mirrors and lighting, then settled back down inside the bedroom when they were satisfied with their appearances.
They chatted casually about Clem's classes, how her parents had been fighting more often, how Beth was enjoying how educational the self-defense class was, and their expectations for the party. Then they joked about how drunk Tara would get, and if she'd get Rosita to let loose with her again.
A few times, Beth silently debated on confiding in Clem about the kiss. But whenever she was about to force herself to push out the words, preparing for a variety of reactions, Clem would change the subject and start asking Beth's opinion on something new. After a couple of times, Beth took it as a sign that she should just keep it to herself. She told herself she didn't want to ruin the carefree mood with such a serious conversation anyway.
Just as they were beginning to wonder aloud when Daryl would be coming back and whether they should leave without him, they heard the front door open.
"Y'all ready?!" He called from the living room, and the girls exchanged a playful look before leaving the bedroom together, jackets and phones in hand.
"Yeah, are you?" Beth answered, smirking playfully at Daryl.
He looked down at himself – clean jeans, non-work boots, and a plaid button-up (sleeves rolled up above his elbows, of course) – then looked back up at Beth and Clem, glancing at their outfits. Beth noticed his eyes lingering on her a bit longer than usual as they drifted up and down and back up again, his cheeks turning a little pink. She suddenly felt self-conscious, casually crossing her arms across her middle so her jacket would cover the exposed cleavage. She glanced over at Clem but couldn't tell if she'd noticed as well.
He looked down at himself again, avoiding Beth's eyes, and grunted, "Huh. Maybe not as ready as you two. But I did m'best."
Beth smiled and Clem joked from beside her, "It's okay, Daryl – you'll never be as pretty as us. It's not your fault."
Clem and Beth shared a laugh while Daryl smirked in amusement and gestured for them to follow him out the front door.
"Funny," he commented, locking up the door and leading the girls down the hall to start their trek down the stairs. "When yer together like that, y'all look like yer the same age."
Clem and Beth exchanged a look, then Clem asked, "So you think I could pass for twenty-one?"
Daryl chuckled and glanced back at them for a second, then replied, "Hah. Nah, neither of ya looks a day over eighteen."
Beth's heart skipped and she thought, Well, about seventeen days over. But you're not supposed to notice that…
She didn't say anything, though.
The girls trailed a few feet behind Daryl as he led the way out of the apartment building and down the sidewalk. Beth quickly noticed he was wearing the same musky scent that he'd put on for his date with Ally. She and Clem were walking so closely together that they were bumping arms as they talked in hushed voices and giggled quietly at small jokes. Daryl didn't seem to care much, walking with his back straightened and shoulders squared.
He'd thrown on pair of dark sunglasses, and he kept his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans as he walked at a leisurely pace, keeping his head on a swivel. Beth saw him glancing back at her and Clem every couple of minutes, and she couldn't help but feel like he was secretly playing out a bodyguard fantasy in his head – because personally, she was half-pretending he was their personal bodyguard in her own mind, just for the fun of it. And even with her sunglasses on, she somehow felt safer and less noticeable out in public with Daryl and Clem around her.
About halfway to Tara's apartment, and only ten minutes into the group's trek through the East Village, Beth got to see the true character of some of the city's residents.
As they ventured away from Daryl's apartment, the sidewalks became more populated and the traffic grew heavier. Daryl slowed his long strides until he was directly in front of Clem and Beth as they walked and weaved their way past people and bus stops and piles of black, full trash bags. They came to a crosswalk and halted at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting for the signal to change while cars sped past them. Beth and Clem were still talking as they glanced around and checked their surroundings, then the signal changed and they were following Daryl's lead into the street. But one of the cars had tried to push his luck and make the light, only to find Daryl and the two girls stepping out in front of his car. Daryl turned just in time to see the vehicle and he reached a hand out to slap the hood of the car angrily as it stopped abruptly, coming within inches of both Daryl's and Beth's legs.
"Hey!" Daryl cried out, furious. He stared into the windshield and threw his hands up. "What the fuck?! Watch where yer goin', asshole!"
Beth and Clem had been startled, but Clem seemed more accustomed to the situation. Daryl glanced at Clem, then Beth, checking for assurance that they were unharmed, but his eyes frantically swept Beth up and down multiple times.
"Ya alright?" He asked.
Beth nodded, eyes still wide from being startled.
Daryl looked back to the driver with fury in his eyes. Beth looked into the windshield that Daryl was staring into and saw a bearded man making angry hand gestures inside his car, his mouth moving as he yelled but the words drowned out by his closed windows and the noise on the street.
Daryl gave the hood another angry slap but didn't leave any damage, then turned and gestured for the girls to continue walking with him. The three of them fast-walked across the street and let out a collective sigh of relief when they reached the next sidewalk. But Beth could see how angry Daryl still was, and he was glancing back at them twice as often now.
"What a dick," Clem remarked, turning to Beth again. "Welcome to New York, huh?"
Beth smiled but didn't say anything. She was still watching Daryl inadvertently flexing his neck muscles in anger from the corner of her eye.
The rest of their walk to Tara and Denise's was relatively peaceful. The neighborhood they lived in was a bit busier and louder than Daryl's, but Beth could tell that it was more expensive just by looking at it. Tara and Denise's condo complex was situated across from a large building that held a mattress store and right next door to a bagel shop. The trio had to squeeze past other pedestrians and another busy bus stop, then another large pile of black trash bags as they approached the tallest building on the street. The multi-level building across the street was the only one nearly as tall as the condo complex, and it still fell short a few stories.
Beth gazed up at the rows and rows of long windows that reached for the sky and silently prayed it had an elevator. It had to be at least twenty floors. There were so many large, long, clear glass windows that the building looked like it was almost made entirely of glass.
Daryl, Clem, and Beth approached the glass front door, situated right next to a black portion of wall that had "ONE TEN 3RD" painted onto it in block letters next to a long, skinny window. There was a white awning over the glass door, and from the outside, Beth could see a lobby – much nicer than the one in Daryl's or Rosita's building.
"Goddamn, place must cost 'least a million," Daryl commented as he opened the glass door and stepped aside to let the girls walk in first.
"Easily," Clem affirmed. "Denise makes that psychiatrist money."
"They got a roommate?" He asked, entering behind the girls as they all stepped into the lobby – its floors were shiny and white, the walls painted a soft eggshell color, and every surface inside had at least one type of floral arrangement on it.
"No, they use the spare bedroom for guests," Clem explained. "I think Tara's sister and niece come and stay with them sometimes."
Daryl nodded, gazing around the sparkling clean lobby with curiosity. Beth probably looked about the same, but she was keeping her sunglasses on and her mouth shut, choosing to observe instead. Daryl spotted the doorman, dressed in his impeccable uniform, standing near the elevator on the far side of the room and led the girls over to speak to him.
"Good evening," the doorman greeted with a polite smile as Daryl and the two girls approached him. His shiny, bronze nametag read C.J. and he was a few inches taller than Daryl. "How may I help you?"
Daryl nodded, "Evenin'. Uh, we're here fer the Cloyd-Chambler residence."
The doorman, C.J., smiled knowingly. "Tara informed me she'd be expecting guests. Right this way."
He stepped aside and pressed a button for the elevator, motioning for the group to step inside when the doors opened. Daryl stepped in first, then Clem and Beth – who still had her sunglasses on, just in case.
"Apartment eleven-A," C.J. informed them, and Daryl took his cue to press the button for the eleventh floor from inside the elevator. Then the doorman waved good-bye to them, "Enjoy the party!"
The doors closed and the elevator began taking the trio up and up and up. Beth was thankful they didn't have to climb any stairs, and she was also feeling a little culture shock. Now that she was thinking about it, she couldn't remember ever seeing an actual doorman in real life. And she wasn't sure that the concierge at the hotels her family used to stay at on vacation when she was little really counted as proper doormen. This guy actually seemed to know Tara and Denise, and knew that they were having a party. Beth was becoming more and more curious to see what the apartment would look like.
When they reached the eleventh floor, the elevator doors opened to reveal a spotless, beige hallway. The floors were polished wood and the walls were decorated with generic paintings. There were a few plants along the edges of the somewhat narrow hall, and the hall lead to four different doors, labeled A, B, C, and D. The word "Eleven" was painted on the wall to the left in calligraphy.
Daryl led the girls to the white door with a big, black "A" painted on it, stopping in front of it and knocking. They could hear the faint sounds of music and voices from inside.
Beth glanced around the hall, checking the walls and upper corners for cameras. She'd been discreetly searching the lobby and elevator, as well, but couldn't seem to spot where the camera was hidden exactly. She assumed they must've had higher end technology and surveillance, based off the appearance of the building and the staff, because she knew a place like this would have some kind of video surveillance all over. She kept her sunglasses on and her head turned downwards, pretending to fiddle with the zipper of her jacket while Clem and Daryl chatted about something she'd tuned out. She didn't raise her head until the door of Tara's apartment was opening and she was stepping inside the foyer. Her mind was racing with images of a pinhole camera tucked into the corner of every room.
"Hey, guys!" Denise greeted cheerily, stepping to the side to let the group inside. She shut the door behind them and called toward the living room, "It's Daryl, Clem, and Rosie!"
Beth's anxiety immediately eased as she entered the warm environment of Tara and Denise's condo. There was an energy of excitement and comradery in the air, and the apartment was already buzzing with conversation and laughter.
Daryl gave Denise a friendly hug and patted her on the shoulder with a smile, grumbling out, "Good t'see ya. How ya been?"
She smiled and nodded, "Great! You? How's Malachi?"
He smiled back, "Good, we're doin' real good. Fancy place y'all got here, Doctor Cloyd."
Denise chuckled, "Hey, thanks. The piles of student loan debt pale in comparison to these beautiful, twelve-hundred square feet, don't ya think?"
She and Daryl shared a laugh, then Clem stepped forward to greet Denise briefly, and Beth did the same, offering a small smile.
"Glad you could make it," Denise said, smiling back.
Beth glanced around the spotless condo – the floors hardwood and polished, like the ones in the hallway, and the walls painted a light gray – and saw an open door that led to a small bathroom across from the front door in the foyer. It led them around and to the left, passing a closed door on the right that presumably led to the master bedroom. To their left was a laundry closet, and next to the door of the master bedroom was a partially open door that revealed a sparse guest bedroom. And a few feet farther ahead was the living and dining room. To the left of that was the kitchen, an open transition with an island counter in the middle and two barstools. And along every outer wall were floor-to-ceiling glass windows. All the windows had curtains hanging above them, but most of them had been pulled back to let the bright sunlight pour in. The city outside created a backdrop for the living and dining rooms.
To the far right of the room, in the living portion, was a couch and TV and a few living chairs, as well as a glass coffee table. In the middle of the room, sitting against one of the areas of the wall that held a painting instead of a window, was a shiny, black table with four chairs seated around it. And to the left was the island and the kitchen. There was a surround sound system in the living room, hung around the walls, and music was playing from it at a low volume. In the corners of the small condo were vivid, green plants in artsy pots, and there were various pictures featuring Denise and Tara hung all over the open areas of wall and set along the shelves of bookcases and atop the surfaces of end tables. The sunlight pouring in from the windows gave the room a bright glow, and Beth could see the horizon beginning to change colors in preparation of sunset to the west.
Despite its fairly small size, the condo was full of people Beth didn't recognize and decorated with bright banners, streamers, and balloons. There was a large banner hung across the windows right in the middle of the living/dining room, so it was the first thing seen when one stepped out of the foyer. It read: "¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Rosita!" The dining table was covered with an array of different foods, paper plates, cutlery, and napkins. The island counter held a wide variety of drinks, including lemonade, sodas, and liquor, as well as plenty of plastic cups. And in the corner of the living room was what looked like a karaoke machine.
"Too bright in here for ya?" Daryl muttered, and Beth turned her head to find him standing so close that their arms were touching. Clem had wandered off to talk to someone she knew in the living room.
She smirked and realized he was talking about the sunglasses, so she reached up and slipped them off, then tucked them into her jacket pocket.
She replied, "A little, yeah. A lot brighter than your apartment usually is, that's for sure."
He chuckled. "Yeah. Not enough windows in our place, I 'spose."
Before Beth could say anything else, Tara had rushed up to them, a broad grin of excitement on her face. "Oh my god, I'm so glad you guys came! Thanks for bringing Clem and Rosie, Daryl!"
She threw her arms out and hugged Daryl, and he returned it sheepishly. He glanced over at Beth and they exchanged a joking look.
Tara turned to Beth, still smiling, and hugged her as well, then pulled away and asked them, "Want a drink?"
Beth shook her head but Daryl shrugged. He answered, "Sure. I can get it – where's it at?"
"Oh, c'mon, I'm getting one, too," Tara instructed, and turned to lead him to the kitchen, slipping past a couple of people Beth didn't recognize. "Rosita's supposed to be here in about thirty minutes. We're all gonna do the classic surprise thing – I got C.J. to call me when she's on the elevator so we can all get ready."
The giddiness was evident in Tara's voice and on her face. Her eyes were sparkling and she couldn't stop smiling, and Beth felt herself smiling just by seeing her.
"Damn, ya really went all out, huh?" Daryl commented.
Beth walked closely with them to the kitchen, and she and Daryl stood next to each other at the end of the island while Tara grabbed a bottle of liquor and a bottle of soda and a plastic cup.
"Oh, yeah," Tara grinned, pouring a hearty amount of liquor into the cup. "I've never been able to surprise her – she's too fuckin' smart sometimes. But this year – ohh, I'm getting her good."
Daryl laughed, and when Tara moved to pour in some soda to mix with the liquor, he reached out a hand and stopped her. "Nah. Keep it like that."
He took the cup from in front of her and drank it straight, then glanced around the room before stopping on Beth. "Whatcha want t'drink?"
She shook her head while Tara waited for an answer, soda bottle still in hand. "Oh, no thanks, I'm good for now. I'll just have – some of that."
She pointed to the bottle in Tara's hand. Tara shrugged and grabbed another plastic cup, pouring some of the fizzy liquid into it.
"These all yer friends?" Daryl asked, gesturing in general toward all the people occupying the condo.
"Me and Rosita's," Tara answered, holding out the plastic cup for Beth to take, which she did. "Got some of our college friends we haven't seen in a while, and then I got a bunch of her coworkers in on it, too. And those two over there, talking to Denise, are Denise's friends."
Beth glanced back to see Denise standing in the living room, cup in hand, and chatting with a man and a woman – both of whom were dressed considerably nicer than the rest of the guests at the party. Beth assumed they must be doctors, too.
"Cool," Daryl said, sipping from his cup. "She bringin' that one dude?"
"Austin?" Tara asked, nodding. "Yeah, I think so."
Daryl grunted and took another sip, and Beth glanced over to make eye contact and give him a brief, quizzical look. He shrugged and looked away from her.
Tara didn't seem to notice and turned away to answer someone who was trying to get her attention. She began talking to a tall, white guy with short, brown hair who looked to be about Daryl's age. Beth looked him up and down for a moment, searching for the signs of a cop – body movement, stance, any hints of a concealed weapon. He didn't give off an authoritative vibe, though, and she got the sense that he didn't work somewhere that required him to wear any kind of uniform.
But then she was turning her head and scanning her eyes across the rest of the guests, trying to remember all their faces while also trying to figure them out from a glance. Most of them looked like the types who'd be mechanics, while a few appeared to be young mothers out for an early night and a couple of guys in their twenties who probably sold real estate or did accounting.
Despite these observations, Beth still felt uneasy. She was wishing she'd brought her bag with her, and the spot where the Beretta usually rested beneath her arm was feeling particularly empty. Her fingers fidgeted with the sunglasses in her pocket while the other lifted the cup to her lips to take another drink.
There was a knock at the door and Beth turned to watch Tara rush to answer it, then return a few seconds later with Enid and a boy who looked to be no older than sixteen. Enid was holding his hand and smiling happily, waving to Beth and Daryl as she emerged from the foyer before turning to gleefully greet Clem in the living room.
The half-hour wait to Rosita's arrival passed quietly. Beth slowly relaxed as she wandered around the room, keeping to herself and choosing to look around Denise and Tara's condo. No one tried to engage with her, which she was thankful for. Clem and Enid seemed pretty occupied with each other, and Beth glanced over at them a few times but decided there would be plenty of time later for her to talk to them, and she didn't want to intrude right now. In the dining area, Daryl was talking with a couple of Rosita's coworkers, his hands moving animatedly as he spoke, and in the kitchen, Tara was talking and laughing with the tall, brown-haired guy and a couple of other people. Beth walked around the living room and gazed at the bookcases, skimming over the book titles, and then peered closer at some of the framed photos.
She found what looked like Tara's sister and niece, on a beach with Tara. They were all smiling and looked happy, and Beth wondered how recent the photo was. There were a few more photos like it, at different holidays and vacation spots. There were also a couple of photos of Denise with what Beth could only guess was her brother. She wondered if they were twins because they looked to be almost impossibly close in age. She thought back to the comment Denise had made the other night about how Daryl reminded her of her brother in a way. It made Beth curious to know what the man in the photo was really like.
The sound of a ringing cell phone filled the apartment, and a few seconds later, Tara was practically jumping up and down as she yelled out for everyone to get ready for Rosita's arrival.
Beth turned around to look toward the doorway of the foyer, and someone paused the music and turned off the lights in the condo. The sunlight continued to fill the small space, but it was considerably darker than it had been before.
Then there was a rhythmic and playful knock on the door, and Tara stood next to the island counter with a cake in her hands, and about twenty candles lit atop it. She called out, as casually as she could muster, "Come in!"
Denise had left the door unlocked, and the condo was completely silent as everyone waited with baited breath and listened to the sound of the door opening and Rosita stepping into the foyer.
"Where are you at, puta?!" Rosita called from the foyer, and her footsteps grew closer to the doorway.
"In the kitchen!" Tara called, stifling her laughter.
Rosita finally reached the doorway, Austin following closely behind her, where she stopped and asked, "Why's it so dark – "
"SUR-PRISE!"
The lights and music were turned back on simultaneously as everyone cried out in unison. Rosita's eyes were wide with shock, but within seconds, they were filling with tears and she was smiling broadly. She put her hands over her chest, laughing loudly as she watched Tara approach slowly, holding the cake out.
"Oh my fucking god, you did not!" Rosita laughed, staring at the cake and all the candles with tear-filled eyes.
"I so did," Tara grinned, finally letting out her laughter. "I fucking got you! I finally GOT you!"
Rosita laughed harder, then took a deep breath and blew out the candles on the cake. A few were left flickering and she took another breath, trying to stop herself from bursting into more laughter while Tara teased her. She blew again and finally extinguished the last of the candles, then turned to Austin, who was still standing behind her, and nudged him with a grin, quietly asking if he'd known. He shrugged and acted innocent, giving a mischievous smile.
Beth looked over and saw Daryl standing with his new mechanic friends, watching the scene with a small smile on his face. He must've felt her eyes on him because he turned his head and met her gaze. She smiled and raised her eyebrows, and he nodded back with a smirk.
She was glad she'd come tonight.
Rosita finally glanced behind Tara and saw the banner hanging on the wall, and she laughed loudly again. "You got the banner in fucking Spanish!"
Tara laughed as well, then grabbed Rosita by the shoulder and pushed her toward the living room with a grin, pointing to the machine sitting in the corner, "And I rented a karaoke machine!"
Rosita covered her mouth with her hands and laughed, shaking her head. Her eyes were still filled with tears and she dabbed at the corners, unable to stop smiling.
A few minutes later, Rosita had gone around and greeted everyone, surprising Beth by hugging her happily when she got to her, while Beth wished her a very happy birthday – again. Even Daryl wrapped an arm around Rosita and muttered a "happy birthday" with a smile. Beth couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this much love and happiness in one place, and she sipped her soda while she contentedly watched Tara portion out a piece of cake and pour a strong drink for Rosita.
"Obligatory tequila shot!" Tara announced, setting out two shot glasses and filling them with tequila, then passing the bottle to the brown-haired guy so he could begin pouring more shots for other people.
"Oh, god," Rosita rolled her eyes dramatically but smiled. She took a quick bite of cake from the paper plate in front of her, then grabbed the shot glass and prepared to make a toast with Tara.
The girls clinked their tiny glasses together and downed the alcohol, and the other guests clapped and cheered happily. Beth clapped softly, still holding a cup in her hand, and when the music got turned up just a little louder and everyone began moving about the room to grab cake and shots of liquor, she glanced across the room at Daryl. When she found his eyes staring back at her from over the top of his cup, some of his hair hiding the rest of his face, she quickly looked away again and took another drink of soda.
As the sky darkened outside, the party grew rowdier. By the time the sun had set and the condo was alit with indoor lighting and reflections of passing cars' headlights and bright business signs outside, Beth was on her third cup of soda and she'd seen Tara and Rosita take at least five shots and mix a handful of drinks for themselves as well as for Austin, Daryl, and the brown-haired guy. To Beth's surprise, she'd even seen Denise take a drink, though she'd been coddling it for well over an hour and had only taken a few sips. Clem and Enid seemed to be in the same mindset as Beth for the night, as she'd seen them filling their cups with nothing but soda while they intermittently snacked on cake and chips.
Everyone seemed to loosen up and laugh more often, and the party bounced between drinking games, brief card games, and casual chatting and joking. Beth got in on a couple of the games and found that even the people she didn't know were treating her as part of the group, and they all talked and laughed as though they'd been friends for years.
For a couple of hours, Beth didn't even think of herself as anyone other than "Rosie."
The party slimmed down as the time passed. A couple of Rosita's mechanic friends said goodbye and left, and not long afterwards, the few people who Denise had been talking to also said their thanks and retired for the night, soon followed by Tara and Rosita's college friends. Beth looked around and realized there were only about four or five people left that she didn't know, including the brown-haired guy, who she'd overheard Tara referring to as "Spencer," though he and Beth hadn't exchanged more than three words. Daryl was still talking to the remaining mechanics in attendance, his third whiskey in his hand, when Tara and Rosita wandered over to the karaoke machine and turned off the music that had been playing through the surround sound speakers.
Beth sipped her drink and stood next to the couch while she watched with a smirk.
"It's karaoke time, bitches!" Tara announced loudly, fumbling to turn on the machine and grab the microphones.
Rosita took another hearty swig of her drink before setting it down on a nearby end table and taking the other microphone from Tara's hand. Beth glanced over at Daryl to see him watching the scene with the same amusement in his eyes, and then she looked over to see that Enid was standing in a corner with her boyfriend (whose name Beth still hadn't caught), while Clem was standing in the kitchen with Austin, who was turned toward her and seemed to be talking to her. Beth made eye contact with Clem for a second, but got distracted by the sound of music starting up on the karaoke machine, and she turned back around to watch Tara and Rosita perform a drunken and giggly rendition of "Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa.
At first, Beth was giggling at Tara and Rosita's performance, but as the song went on and they started dancing with each other, she found her own hips swaying a little and looked around to see that everyone seemed to be sharing the same feeling. Denise was standing a few feet away from Beth and was doing an exaggerated impression of bad twerking, specifically for Tara to see, which was causing Tara to burst into laughter as she tried to turn away and finish the song. Rosita was laughing, too, and her face was red from more than just alcohol.
When the song ended, Rosita shook her head, still laughing, and handed the microphone back to Tara before grabbing her drink and stepping away.
"I gotta take a break," she laughed, sipping her drink.
Tara fake whined, still giggling as well, "Oh, fine, ya pussy! I'm getting my money's worth for this – time for my solo!"
"Uh-oh," Denise said loudly, snickering, and the other guests laughed.
Tara raised her eyebrows and pointed to Denise, "Watch it, or I'll make you come up and duet a Grease song with me!"
Denise laughed and Tara turned around to pick another song on the machine, suppressing her own drunken laughter. Beth glanced back to see Rosita joining Austin and Clem in the kitchen, and for a second, Beth thought Clem looked somehow relieved.
She heard the music starting up again – a familiar beat to a rap song she hadn't heard in ages – and she turned back around to find Daryl standing beside her. He had left the group across the room and wandered over to stand next to her, their arms nearly touching. She looked up at him and he looked back, but they just smiled at each other before giving their attention to Tara. Beth lifted the cup to her lips again, and she saw Daryl doing the same from the corner of her eye.
Tara's laughter disappeared, though she was still smiling, as she held the microphone to her mouth and rapped along to the beat of "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio, feigning a tougher voice to fit the song, "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life an' realize there's nothin' left! 'Cause I been blastin' an' laughin' so long…"
Beth watched with amusement, laughing as Tara rapped the song perfectly, even though she was facing the party the whole time, sometimes making eye contact or pointing out to Denise or Rosita.
Halfway through the song, Daryl leaned in and said, just loud enough for Beth to hear, "She ain't even glancin' at that damn screen. Ya think she practices this in her mirror or somethin'?"
Beth laughed and turned to see he was smiling playfully, and when he'd leaned in, his arm brushed against hers. She nodded and joked, "Or maybe the 'gangster' just comes naturally to her."
He chuckled and took another sip of his whiskey, turning his attention back to Tara.
As she neared the end of the song, and the final chorus was repeating, Denise rushed up and grabbed the other microphone and, with a red face, began singing along loudly and overdramatically, "Why-y-y are we-e-e, so bli-i-ind to see-e-e! That the ones we hurt, are you-u-u and me-e-e!"
Tara finished the song despite her overwhelming laughter and when the music ended, she and Denise kissed happily and laughed together, leaning into each other. Then Tara turned and quickly chose another song, and the familiar music started up.
Denise shook her head, still laughing, and set her microphone down, then stepped back to watch with Beth and Daryl.
"Alright, motherfuckers, I want your asses dancing!" Tara announced into the microphone, and a hit from just a few years prior began playing.
Daryl shook his head and took another swig of whiskey as the song started and Tara's singing filled the condo again.
"Oh-h, don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me! I said, you're holdin' back, she said – shut up and DANCE with me!"
Beth watched, smiling, and glanced around to see that most of the party had found Tara's suggestion to be a good one. Austin and Rosita were happily bopping around together in the dining room, as were Spencer and Clem, with playful smiles on their faces. Enid and her boyfriend were even swinging their hips and bumping into each other, enjoying the fun atmosphere.
"…This woman is my destiny-y!" Tara sang, pointing to Denise with a grin on her face and causing Denise to blush while she swayed her hips to the music. "She said, ooh-oh-ooh – shut up and DANCE WITH ME!"
Beth turned to look at Daryl and found him nodding his head along to the music and moving his legs a bit, a small smile on his lips. She thought the whiskey must've been starting to get to him when Denise turned and bumped his arm, then urged him to dance with her. His face turned nearly as red as hers had been, but as Tara continued belting out the lyrics, he started moving his hips and dancing along with Denise, a bashful grin on his face the whole time.
"…A backless dress and some beat up sneaks, my discotheque Juliet teenage dream! I felt it in my chest as she looked at me, I knew we were bound to be together, bou-ound to be together!"
Denise danced around Daryl and reached Beth, nudging her arm this time and urging her to dance along with them. With a sheepish smile, Beth gave in and began imitating Daryl, swaying her hips a little more fluidly while holding her cup steady in one hand. They were dancing along as a trio now, like Tara's personal group of superfans, and Daryl had turned his body to face Beth until they were dancing together while Denise faced Tara. It seemed that the catchy tune was too dance-worthy for any of them to stay still, and Tara was putting way too much effort into her karaoke to be ignored.
Beth grinned and the redness in her cheeks faded as she loosened up, seeing the playful sparkle in Daryl's dark blue eyes and the bashful smile that remained on his lips. They bumped hips a couple of times, laughing with each other, and then, on a whim, Beth grabbed his free hand with her own and moved it along with their bodies. He didn't pull away or slow his dancing, watching her with something that looked like a mixture of amusement and curiosity (or admiration?). His hand was just as calloused as she remembered, but it was warm, and he weaved his fingers into the spaces between hers, letting her swing his arm around.
Still grinning and growing breathless from dancing, Beth started singing along quietly, and Daryl watched her lips moving to the lyrics with a hint of wonder in his eyes, "Oh, don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me – I said, you're holding back – she said, shut up and dance with me-e-e!"
Daryl's smile had grown wider and he didn't look away from Beth for a second – or the funny expressions she was making while she sang along – as she raised his hand above her head and spun herself in a jokingly dramatic way, whipping her wavy hair around her head. He laughed and this time, he held her hand steady and helped her to spin before catching her with his palm placed softly against the small of her back. She leaned into him for a second before pulling back and resuming their playful dance, fingers still interlocked.
They didn't break eye contact until the song was over and Tara had stopped singing. When the room grew momentarily quiet, they stopped dancing and pulled their hands back again, putting a few inches between their bodies once more. Daryl's smile faded along with the music.
Their cheeks were turning red again, and they looked away from each other and back to Tara, though Beth couldn't stop smiling bashfully. For the moment, she wasn't even thinking about it.
"Oh my god, you guys, I think this might be the most successful party I've thrown to date," Tara said into the microphone, sweaty and panting from her enthusiastic performance. "I got Daryl Dixon to fucking dance, y'all!"
Denise laughed loudly and Rosita cheered from her spot in the dining room next to Austin. Clem clapped and laughed as well, and Beth glanced over to see Daryl shaking his head and avoiding looking at anyone while he pretended to drink from his cup. But she could see the color in his face once more. She was relieved that no one was looking at her – except Clem, who had a mischievous smirk on her face. But Beth pretended not to notice, and looked down at the drink in her hands instead.
Daryl, still blushing, cupped a hand around his mouth and yelled jokingly to Tara, "Play 'Free Bird'!"
"No requests!" Tara said loudly, then burst into laughter, causing Daryl to laugh as well. They were clearly enjoying the mixture of alcohol and karaoke.
"Okay, birthday girl, come do a duet with me!" Tara said into the microphone. "You can pick any song, I won't even complain!"
Rosita shook her head but Austin urged her forward and she gave in. As she passed Daryl, he called out, "Pick 'Free Bird'!"
"Shut up, Daryl!" Tara snapped, grinning.
Rosita was laughing when she joined Tara at the karaoke machine again. She started scrolling through the song options while Tara watched and joked with her. The guests went back to talking amongst each other. But Beth was still standing close enough to hear Daryl talking to Denise.
He started, "I'm gonna have a smoke. Y'all got roof access or – "
"Oh, yeah, there's a key hanging by the door," Denise replied. "The elevator will take you."
Daryl nodded and turned to walk away, but Beth reached out and touched his arm to stop him. He paused and looked at her, a little confused.
"You goin' outside?" She asked, as though she hadn't just heard him ask about the roof.
He nodded, and without hesitating, offered, "Wanna come?"
Beth nodded as well, "Yeah, I could use some fresh air."
Daryl gestured for her to follow him and he led the way back to the foyer and then to the front door, muttering, "Pro'lly be a pretty nice view, too."
He grabbed a small keyring containing one small key from the rack hanging by the door, then opened the door and stepped aside for Beth to walk out first. Once she was in the hallway, he stepped out as well and shut the door behind him, then they walked to the elevator at the end of the hall and he pressed the Up button. Beth kept her head low and hidden away from any potential cameras.
A few moments later, they were standing on the elevator alone, steadily moving up floor by floor. The silence was a bit deafening after the noise inside of the condo, but Beth clutched the plastic cup still in her hands and stared at the elevator doors. The flutters in her stomach were suddenly back. She realized the tension between them was only palpable when they were alone together – or was that just her imagination?
The elevator doors slid open again to reveal a large, open rooftop and the nighttime city skyline surrounding it. There was a modern, glass barrier framed with steel railing around the entire edge of the roof, and some of the furniture set out was still covered with tarps to protect from the recent weather changes. But toward the edge was a small corner tucked away, a couple of chairs set out around a glass patio table, surrounded by the numerous potted plants and flowers that were scattered around the rest of the rooftop.
There was no one else out one the roof tonight, even though the sky was a beautiful dark gray, spotted with a couple of bright stars here and there, the moon glowing dimly in the distance from behind passing clouds. The city was alive twenty-one stories down, and the sounds of car horns and police sirens could be heard from all over.
A strong breeze ruffled Beth's hair and she clutched her jacket tighter around her, glad that she'd thought to keep it on even though the dancing had warmed her up substantially. Autumn was in the air and the summer temperatures were quickly fleeing, sending goosebumps up and down Beth's arms. She was wishing she still had her long hair to protect the crook of her neck from the wind.
Daryl walked over to the corner of the roof with intent, then leaned back against the glass barrier and steel railing and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jeans pocket. He set his half-empty cup of whiskey down on the nearby glass patio table and shook a single cigarette out into his hand. Beth had followed him over, and she leaned up against the glass barrier facing outward, gazing out at the skyline against the dark clouds. The air was chilly even without the wind, and when Beth looked out, she realized there was a dense layer of fog hovering over the city. A breeze whipped her hair to one side and she shivered against it, but reveled in the cool sensation against her perspiring skin.
Daryl held the pack of smokes out to her in offering.
"Want one?"
She looked over and shook her head, "No, thanks."
He pulled his hand back and shoved the pack back into his pocket, pulling out a black Bic lighter next. Beth watched him put the cigarette between his lips and hold the lighter up to the end, cupping his hand around it as he lit the flame and puffed the cigarette to life. When he stuffed the lighter back into his pocket and glanced over to meet her gaze, she quickly looked back out at the city that lay beneath the fog.
They stood a few feet apart, resting against the same railing, while Daryl smoked his cigarette and Beth marveled at the sights of the city and the sheer height of the rooftop, all in total silence. But she could feel the tension ebbing away slowly.
Halfway through his cigarette, Daryl spoke.
"You, uh – get that text I sent yesterday?"
She glanced over to see him staring down at his boots and putting the cigarette to his lips again for a deep exhale. The cherry of the tip glowed red in the night and his hair fell over his face.
"Yeah," she said simply, then looked back out toward the city. "Sorry I didn't answer. I wasn't feelin' very well yesterday…"
She saw him shrug briefly from the corner of her eye and he mumbled, "No biggie. Jus' checkin'."
She let the silence hang between them for a moment, still admiring the view of the skyline. She muttered, "You were right – it is a pretty view up here."
Beth glanced at him and saw him turn his head and give her a brief smile, "Yeah."
She bit her lip but any words she might've wanted to say had left her for the time being. She tore her eyes away from the skyline and gazed at the flowers in a pot that sat on the floor beside her. Even in the dim lighting, she could tell they were some kind of aster flower – she could still see the picture in the book her momma had taught her from.
Smiling to herself, with the positive energy from the party still flowing through her, Beth asked, "What's your favorite flower?"
She kept looking around, squinting to see if she could identify the other flowers around the rooftop deck. Then she turned back to face Daryl, only half-expecting any kind of answer or acknowledgement.
He grunted, and for a second, she thought that would be his only reply. But then he muttered, "Cherokee Rose."
Beth raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, "Oh – the state flower of Georgia."
Daryl furrowed his brow and looked over at her, and she thought he was going to ask her how she knew that. Instead, he asked, "What's yers?"
Without a second thought, she answered, "Sunflower."
"State flower a Kansas," he said, taking another drag of his cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke. "But you ain't from Kansas."
Beth smiled, "So? Is that the only reason you like yours, 'cause it's your state flower?"
A smile tugged at his lips and he said, "Nah. 'Course not."
"Okay, then," she said, still watching him with a smile on her face. "Ain't gotta have a reason ta like somethin'."
He shrugged and took a long drag from his cigarette, holding it in his lungs for a moment before exhaling and snubbing the end out against the bottom of his boot. "Some things, I s'pose."
Then he tossed the cigarette butt over the railing and into the wind, where it was carried off before it could fall more than a few inches.
Beth had turned to watch it drift away when she felt a vibration in her jacket pocket. She reached in and grabbed her phone, pulling it out to find a new text notification on the screen. It was Clementine. Beth opened the message and read:
You didn't leave, did you?
Beth quickly texted back, "No, I'm on the roof, why?" and pressed Send. Within seconds, another text came in:
When are you coming back? I need to talk to you.
Oh, god, Beth thought. Those words are never good. What could it be? I've only been gone a few minutes.
She looked over at Daryl and saw him staring out at the skyline, arms resting on the railing and body leaning up against the glass. There was a thoughtful look on his face.
"Ready ta go back in? Clem's textin' me," Beth asked quietly, watching for his reaction.
He seemed to snap back to reality and nodded, then silently led the way back to the elevator.
The elevator ride felt less tense to Beth this time around, though they still didn't talk. They got back inside the foyer of Denise and Tara's apartment and he hung the key back up, then headed for the kitchen to get another drink. Beth looked around the party when she emerged from the foyer, but didn't see Clem anywhere.
She backtracked to the foyer to find the door to the bathroom closed and the light on inside. Beth knocked on the door lightly and called out, "Clem?"
Almost on cue, she heard the tell-tale sounds of vomiting and coughing. A separate voice answered from inside the bathroom, "No – Tara got a little puke-y! We're in here!"
Beth recognized the voice as Denise, and she quickly realized Tara was the one she could hear heaving. Cringing, Beth stepped away from the door and walked back through the foyer to the party, searching through the rooms for any sign of Clem.
She saw Rosita in the kitchen, engrossed in a conversation with Spencer and her work friends, and Daryl joining them with his freshly poured drink. It appeared that Enid and her boyfriend had left while Beth and Daryl were on the roof, because they were nowhere to be seen. The music on the speakers was playing again, but at a much lower volume. The table of cake and snacks was a disaster area, and the karaoke machine was all but abandoned.
Confused, Beth turned and walked back into the foyer, stopping near the bathroom door to set her cup down on an end table and pull out her phone. She proceeded to text Clem, "Where are you?"
When she looked up from her phone screen, about to press Send, she nearly jumped backward.
"Oh – I didn't see you there," she chuckled, clutching the phone in her hands.
Austin smiled and approached her, and she wasn't sure exactly where he'd come from because she hadn't seen him just a moment before.
"Hey," he nodded, a smirk on his face that made her feel a little uneasy. "What're you doin' over here?"
She shrugged, furrowing her brow and shoving her hands, and phone, into her jacket pockets. "Lookin' for Clem – what about you?"
He stepped closer to her, and she saw his eyes raking her up and down. She could smell the booze on him as well as see the way he was having trouble focusing his eyes, and she heard the slight slur in his speech.
"Lookin' for you," Austin muttered, and the tone he'd suddenly taken on sent chills up Beth's spine.
"What?" She asked, confused.
He furrowed his brow now and stared at her, still smirking like they had shared an inside joke, "I see the way you've been lookin' at me – it's okay… I know I shouldn't be, but – I'm attracted to you, too."
Beth immediately became nervous. She watched him leaning into her personal space, staring down at her cleavage and breathing his booze-y breath into her face.
"Dude – you're with Rosita," she said, almost positive that her face was displaying the pure disgust she was feeling. "I haven't been lookin' at you – I'm sorry, but I dunno what you're talking about…"
Austin rolled his eyes and kept smirking, then went back to blatantly staring at Beth's cleavage. She reached a hand up and tried to pull her jacket across her chest to cover it. He muttered, his voice low, "We're just fuck buddies… 'Sides, you're way too beautiful. You think I wouldn't notice you or somethin'?"
He chuckled at his little joke but Beth's insides were squirming. She glanced behind him and wished that someone would come around the corner, or emerge from one of the bedrooms, or that Tara and Denise would open the bathroom door. But it appeared that she was cornered in the foyer with Austin, the creep-in-disguise.
The spot where the gun usually rested under her arm was burning.
She averted her eyes away from his, leaning away from his intrusive stance and searching for a way to slip out. But she was afraid he'd grab her if she tried. "I – am really not interested. Sorry, but – "
Then Austin was reaching a hand out toward her chest, and in Beth's mind, she was grabbing his wrist and twisting it so far back behind his head that he was squealing like a pig.
But in reality, she froze.
Her muscles stopped working and her breath caught in her throat, and no matter what she tried, she couldn't will herself to act. Her body was acting on its own accord, and it had chosen to seize up and play mannequin while Austin's clammy fingertips were tracing their way across the exposed skin of her chest. She wanted to ask him if he was blacked out drunk or just really, really good at being a complete scumbag.
But all her words had escaped her and she couldn't seem to find the willpower to form a single sentence.
"That's a pretty necklace – you go t'church?" He mumbled, voice heavy with something that sounded ominous to Beth's ears, and he was tracing his fingertip around the necklace that rested against her chest. "This ain't your ring now, is it?"
She could feel the bile rising in her throat and his finger started to drift lower. The smell of booze on his breath was making her stomach churn, and for the life of her, she couldn't get herself to move.
Please don't touch me, she thought, trying to force her mouth to speak but finding it frozen shut. Please don't fucking touch me…!
"Hey – what the fuck are you doin'?!"
Oh, thank God.
Beth was still frozen in place, but when Austin turned his head to see who was yelling at him, she looked behind him to see that Daryl had wandered into the foyer. She didn't know how long he'd been standing there, but she was the happiest she'd ever been to see him.
"Excuse me?" Austin asked, turning his body away from Beth to face Daryl now.
Beth finally found the ability to move her muscles again, and she took the opportunity to step back a few feet, toward the front door.
"You heard me," Daryl repeated, and Beth could see the anger evident on his face. "What the fuck d'you think yer doin'? She said she ain't interested, why you touchin' her an' shit? Why ain't you backin' the fuck up and goin' back in there with yer goddamn girlfriend?!"
The fury and sudden rise in volume of Daryl's voice sent a new fear through Beth, and all she could do was stand back and watch the scene unfold.
Austin was more than loosened up and inflated by all the liquor he'd drank, and he took a step toward Daryl, shoulders squared like he wanted to fight. "Why don't you mind your own goddamn business, redneck? We ain't datin', she knows I don't wanna be tied down, so how 'bout you go back to the trailer park you crawled out of and – "
Before he could finish the sentence, Daryl's fist was connecting with the slightly taller man's jaw.
Beth gasped, but it was drowned out by Austin's groans of pain and the sound of his feet stumbling backward on the wood floor. He reached up and grasped his face in agony, crying out in anger.
"Mother-FUCKER!"
He moved to swing at Daryl, but Daryl was far quicker on his feet and much less intoxicated. He stepped away and dodged the clumsy punch, then kicked a leg out hard and connected his boot with Austin's shin. In his drunken disorientation, Austin's leg buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor with a loud thud and a cry of pain.
The commotion brought the rest of the party into the foyer, and they crowded into the small space to peer curiously at Daryl, who was standing over Austin and glaring down at him, waiting for him to try to get back up.
"What the – what happened?! Daryl? Austin?!" Rosita cried, shoving her way through the group of people to get to the front and examine the scene.
Before Daryl could answer, the bathroom door swung open and Denise emerged. At almost the same time, the door to the master bedroom opened as well, and Clem emerged, looking confused and shocked.
"What the fuck?" Denise asked, staring at the scene before her.
Austin was climbing to his feet, still unsteady. Daryl turned to Rosita first.
"Hate ta be the one t'tell ya, but yer boyfriend here's a perverted piece a shit," he growled, still bubbling with anger. "He was comin' onto Rosie while you was in the other fuckin' room."
Rosita's eyes grew to the size of saucers and her mouth dropped open. She looked at Austin first, then behind him to Beth.
"Is that – true?" She asked Beth.
Beth blinked, opening her mouth and closing it again. Her voice finally came back, and she opened her mouth again to choke out, "Y-yeah. Yes, it is. I – I told him I wasn't interested. But…"
She couldn't find the words to explain the rest, but it seemed to be enough for Rosita. Beth could tell from the expression on Rosita's face that, as a fellow woman, she didn't need to explain any further.
Rosita looked at Austin, fire quickly building in her eyes.
"She's not lying," Clem spoke up from the bedroom doorway, and Rosita looked over at her. "He – came onto me, too. He's been flirting with me since I met him, but… I didn't wanna say anything. He tried to put his hand up my dress earlier."
Rosita's mouth dropped open even wider as she turned to Austin with bewilderment and disgust, spitting her words like venom, "I didn't think she was lying, but – seriously?! Fucking pendejo!"
Beth's eyes darted to Daryl. A whole new rage appeared on his face, and he reared back like he was going to attack Austin.
"You sick son of a – "
Denise rushed over just in time to help Rosita grab Daryl by the arms and stop him from lunging at Austin. The tall, drunken blond stumbled backward in fear and nearly lost his balance again. One of Rosita's mechanic friends stepped up and tried to help calm Daryl, and Rosita let go of his arm to approach Austin.
"You fucking – cabrón – you'd better get the fuck out of here before I beat your ass!" She yelled in his face, her own face turning dark red. "I can't believe I fucking trusted you!"
Austin's face softened at Rosita's reaction and he put up his hands in defense, stammering, "Rosita, please – "
"Get the FUCK out!" Daryl yelled, two pairs of hands still holding onto his arms as the others weren't sure if he'd try to leap again.
"You'd better leave now before I get security up here to make you leave," Denise said, loudly and firmly while she pointed to the front door.
Austin took the hint and turned around, pushing past Beth before she could step out of the way. He reached the door and left, slamming it behind him.
Everyone was silent as Beth looked over all their faces, settling on Daryl's and trying to study his expression. He still looked too angry for words, but his eyes met hers and immediately softened.
Rosita sighed angrily, "Hijo de puta…"
Clem spoke up again, "Rosita, I'm… so fucking sorry. I swear, I didn't – "
Rosita put up a hand to stop her, then rubbed the back of her neck and shook her head. "Don't. None of you owes me any apologies. I'm just… I'm sorry I didn't see his bullshit earlier. I can't believe it went this far…"
Beth wasn't sure who looked more furious – Daryl or Rosita. She found them to be equally intimidating either way.
Silence settled over the foyer again, and most of the group wandered back to the kitchen and living room – presumably to gather their things and prepare to leave now that the night was officially over.
When it was just Daryl, Denise, Rosita, Clem, and Beth left standing in the foyer, Denise spoke up.
"Tara's gonna be so pissed she missed that."
to be continued…
A/N: Yes, Spencer Monroe will be in this story, but nothing major. Thanks to my friend, Roberto, for helping me out with some creative Spanish swear words for this particular chapter lol. I've been wanting to write protective!Daryl for a while so I hope you all liked this, and if you didn't, please let me know! Also: let me know what your opinion of Clem is after this chapter and overall.
If you haven't listened to the song that Daryl and Beth dance to in this chapter, you should, because it gives me good feelings when I listen to it and picture them dancing in Tara's condo lol the song is called "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk The Moon.
As always, thank you to EVERYONE who has read, favorited, followed, and especially reviewed! Don't worry - the slow burn might be burning up, but we're still in store for a LOT more drama - and surprises :)
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