Despite her incessant worrying about being late, Beca arrived at the restaurant first and got a table. She ordered a coffee for herself, two waters, and a basket of muffins. As she took her first sip of her fragrant hazelnut coffee, a stuffed frog appeared on her shoulder. The project manager chuckled as she turned to see Chloe standing there. "You snuck up on me."

The redhead stuck her lower lip out and said in a gruff voice. "I'm toadly sorry. Please frog-ive me?" She then made a ribbit noise as she hopped the frog off Beca's shoulder to her stomach and onto to her bread plate She turned the cute little feller so he was facing the project manager.

Beca laughed as she picked him up and shook her head. "Is this your way of telling me I have to kiss a lot of frogs before I find my prince?" She rubbed the soft nap of the stuffed animal against her check then placed him by her silverware.

"Princess, maybe. Honestly, I just thought he was cute. Then after a short conversation, he agreed to come to brunch with me to try to get back into your good graces." The server arrived and placed the muffin basket on the table as Chloe slid into the chair opposite of Beca and gave her coffee order. Beca noticed that Chloe did not choose the adjacent seat and tried to not read anything into that action.

"Good morning." Beca hoped her nerves weren't evident in her voice. "I'm glad you could make it Chloe. It means a lot to me." The brunette struggled with not adding a you mean a lot to me to that statement. Despite her anxiety, she really wanted to believe that Chloe's attempts at an apology were genuine. But beyond sausages and stuffed frogs, Beca needed to find out what went wrong the previous evening. She needed assurance that Chloe wasn't rejecting her because of what she had shared.

"I'm pleased you gave me a chance." Chloe picked up the menu and began to peruse the breakfast selections. "Have you decided what to eat? I love this place."

Beca just smiled as she looked over her food choices. She was afraid to eat anything that would upset her stomach even more than it already was. She selected the vegetable frittata, hold the peppers. As the server returned with Chloe's coffee, they both gave their orders – Chloe choosing the seasonal pumpkin waffles.

Chloe rooted around in the muffin basket with her fork, speared one of the small sweet breads and reached over to put it on Beca's plate. "That's the best in the whole basket." She found another and began to butter it for herself.

The project manager couldn't help but to stare at the redhead who was so cheerful and seemingly carefree, much different than the woman she had last seen who couldn't seem to get away from her quickly enough. Beca picked up the frog and spoke to the stuffed animal. "Hi. What's your name?"

"Toad," Chloe chirped.

Beca chuckled. "Your names are so ingenious – Ivy, Jasmine…"

"Don't forget Frank," the redhead pipped.

"So Toad. How well do you know Red over here? … Not that well? … Hmmm okay, I was hoping maybe you could ask her some questions for me."

Chloe's face softened as she reached across the table and snagged the project manager's sleeve so she could give her hand a quick squeeze. "Becs, you can talk to me, you know. Toad – he really doesn't know much." She gave a warm smile before pulling her hand back across the table.

The two avoided any serious conversation while they ate. Beca didn't want to ruin the trip to Chloe's favorite restaurant. As the plates were cleared, each woman ordered more coffee. Beca sat back in her chair. She wasn't sure where to start. "Why did you leave last night?" She caught herself off guard with the question she blurted out, but now at least it was out there.

"For the most part Beca, I'm not one hundred percent sure. I honestly had a great time with you yesterday." She blew her breath out. "I have each of the few times we've spent together. I mean, I enjoy your company more than I have a right to…"

"Wait, what does that mean? More than you have a right to?" Beca was truly confused.

Now that she had a second chance to explain herself, Chloe was terrified that she was going to mess it up even worse than she had the previous evening. "When you told me you had seen me on the street with Aubrey and you'd been watching me in the building – dancing and all… That made me feel funny. Not ha ha funny, just different. But when you said that you wanted to reconcile the woman you saw on the street with the woman who cleans your office… I realized that's all I am, a woman who cleans offices."

Beca's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to make sense of Chloe's reasoning. "That's not all you are Chloe. You are so much more than that. You are witty, kind, and lord knows you are intelligent as hell. In a matter of a few months, you will be Dr. Beale."

"I don't have anything to offer you Beca. I don't even know where my life will take me after I graduate." Chloe looked up at the woman sitting across from her, eyes glistening with tears.

Seeing this was breaking Beca's heart. "Why don't you let me be the judge of that Chloe? I enjoy your company. Doesn't that count for something? Your friends like me, even Posen which is amazing since I didn't think she'd ever give me a second thought more of less approve of me going out with her best friend."

Beca stretched her hand out over the table and held it there, palm up. She didn't say anything but waited for Chloe to think about what she'd said. After a few moments, Chloe shyly moved her hand from her lap and slid it into Beca's. The brunette gave a gentle squeeze as she moved into the chair next to Chloe.

"Touch has memory." Beca lifted Chloe's hand to her lips and again kissed it as she had only a few days prior. "I know because I have constantly thought of your touch since the first time we held hands. Don't let this go because you don't feel you have anything to offer. Let me decide if I like what you have to offer. Please?" She looked at the redhead with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry I got off that subway train Beca. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know Chloe, I know. Toad told me."

Aubrey was nervous about seeing Stacie that morning for many reasons. First was the Pilates class itself. She'd been taking yoga for a few years as a release from work-related stress, so she was confident in her flexibility. But strengthening her core muscles, her stomach? She feared she wouldn't be able to keep up with the class and would disappoint Stacie.

And that brought her to the second reason she was nervous. Stacie. Her friends seemed to endlessly be teasing her about women. Sometimes they'd catch her doing a double-take at a particularly delicate specimen of the female nature in passing. And they were always making her blush as they were people watching and took turns picking out women they felt might be Aubrey's type.

When Stacie had approached her in the church during their practice break, Aubrey could barely string two sentences together. While she didn't quite realize what she was getting herself into, she finally relented and put her number into the tall brunette's phone. Brunch the next morning had been quite pleasant as they focused much of the attention on Beca. Aubrey admired Stacie's loyalty to her friend.

However, when Stacie left, Aubrey had been so caught off guard by the brunette's actions and words that she must have sat there for a good half hour trying to recover. Fortunately, Stacie had been much better behaved at lunch after the competition. She was nervous indeed, but she knew her friends would never let her hear the end of it if she backed out of this date.

When Aubrey arrived at the gym, Stacie bounced up to her. "Hey! I'm glad you could make it. And you brought your own mat. Awesome." She took the blonde's bag and led her to the locker room to stow it for her. Aubrey still hadn't said anything. She was afraid Stacie would notice that she was just staring in admiration.

Stacie was wearing black form-fitting leggings and a black sports bra. Her flat mid-riff was completely exposed. Aubrey was afraid she was going to have a difficult time keeping her eyes off the tall brunette's lithe, toned body and her concentration focused on the class. She looked down at her own clothing and realized she was wearing loose fitting, more flowing pants and a double tank top. Not quite as revealing, but she almost hoped that Stacie would find it cute.

The tall brunette led Aubrey to a place on the floor where she could easily see Stacie but not be up front where everyone could easily see her. "This is one of the beginner classes. Just listen to the instructions and watch me. Don't be afraid to ask if you have any questions." Stacie flashed her a huge smile and went to start the class.

"So Chlo, you want to know more about me, huh?" Beca's dark blue eyes were twinkling. She had accepted the redhead's explanation about the evening before and wanted to alleviate some of the concerns that had come up. "Want to go to one of my favorite thinking spots?"

Feeling more confident about the situation, Chloe quickly agreed. When Beca reached for the check, Chloe grabbed her pocket book. "Split?" Beca shook her head and quickly paid the server so the redhead couldn't complain.

Their destination was only two subway stops away, and Beca refused to share where they were going. "I want a few more minutes of you not thinking I'm a total nerd." As they got off the train, Beca instinctively reached for Chloe's hand. Each time their skin connected, the brunette was surprised at how easy the touch came for her. The warmth spread from their grasp through her body, settling in her stomach. She knew she could quickly become addicted to the feeling.

The pair approached the brown brick building and climbed the stairs to the front entrance. Chloe stopped because she wanted a picture with the stone lion on the steps. "The public library is one of your thinking spots?"

Beca nodded. "They have some pretty comfortable couches, and I know where there's a few tucked away in a corner where we can talk without disturbing anyone."

Soon the couple were settled into the plush couch in a hidden spot, Beca on one end and Chloe stretched out with her head in Beca's lap. The familiarity Chloe showed by how she chose to lay shocked Beca, but the brunette was surprisingly comfortable.

The project manager smiled down at the redhead. "How do you do this?" Chloe tilted her head with a questioning look. "Make me feel like this – safe, cozy even." The redhead gave a brief shrug and a soft smile. "Okay, let's do this. What do you want to know about me Chlo?"

"Whatever you want to share?"

"Mmmm okay." Beca shared about her family growing up, leaving out the information about her mom's death. They talked about college and how she ended up in New York City. The brunette's arm was stretched across the back of the couch, and her other arm was propped on the arm rest of the couch.

Chloe reached up to pull Beca's hand off the couch arm and held it. "What's your greatest fear?"

Beca's eyes widened in shock. "Wow you just went for it, eh? My greatest fear?" Beca thought for a moment. "Failure, I suppose. I tend to be a perfectionist." She moved her arm off the back of the couch and wrapped a few scarlet locks of hair around her finger. "What about you?"

The redhead closed her eyes. "Not being good enough, I suppose. My family has always been super supportive, so I'm not sure where that fear comes from. I have a need to please everyone – my family, my friends, my instructors. I don't want to disappoint anyone by not being good enough."

Gazing down at Chloe, Beca softly replied. "Sounds like you are looking out for everyone else. What about Chloe? Who's looking out for her?"

The redhead closed her eyes for a moment before looking up at Beca. She sat up and moved flush against the project manager, wrapping her arm around Beca's and laying her head on the brunette's shoulder as Beca instinctively wrapped her arm around Chloe's shoulders. The redhead changed the subject. "Tell me about Stacie."

Beca grinned. "She's great – my best friend. To be honest, she's my only friend. I'm pretty much a loner."

"I'll make a deal with you. If you share Stacie with me, I'll share my friends with you. I have a pretty solid core group of pals. And they all already like you."

This comment made Beca blush, and the subject was immediately changed yet again. "Did I hear Ashley say something about your Spring Break?" She felt Chloe nod. "Any plans?" This time the redhead shook her head. "Maybe we can change that." Beca could feel the woman snuggled into her grinning against her shoulder.

Stacie's Pilates class was only forty-five minutes long. Unlike at the end of a yoga session, Aubrey found herself feeling the workout in her muscles. She made her way back to the locker room for a quick shower and a change into clean clothes. Stacie met her outside the locker room. "You've taken yoga, haven't you? Your flexibility shows. Good job today Posen." She took Aubrey's bag and mat to lock up in the office so they wouldn't have to be bothered with them during lunch.

As they walked to the restaurant, the conversation between them came easily. Aubrey thanked Stacie for letting her audit the class. She expressed interest in maybe signing up for additional classes which pleased Stacie to no end. "It's definitely meant to be a core strengthening exercise. Just don't forget about your cardio."

Aubrey blushed as her mind went to watching Stacie's flexible, toned body during class and envisioning some other cardio she might be interested in. "Ummm yeah, I run – unless it's totally freezing out."

Fortunately for Aubrey, Stacie was on good behavior again today. Otherwise there was no telling what direction the conversation would have gone. She prided herself in always having a solid grip on herself and her emotions, but something about this brunette attracted her, drew her in.

The pair talked at length about different getting-to-know-you things such as where they were raised, what brought them to the city, and if they felt their personality matched their astrological sign. Little things that are all a part of learning more about a person. Things that aren't threatening.

Inevitably their conversation turned to common ground – Beca. "Have you heard from Beca since lunch yesterday?" Aubrey found it curious that she hadn't heard from Chloe again since the previous night when she had called so utterly upset. She thought that surely Beca would have reached out to her best friend as well. When Stacie asked why, Aubrey gave a non-specific explanation about Chloe calling her thinking she'd upset Beca.

"That's odd. I don't see that happening since Beca's really into her." Stacie pulled out her phone. "Let's do a little sleuthing."

From Legs: What's shaking pipsqueak?

There was quite a pause before the return answer came.

From Shorty: At the library with Red. Talk later…

Stacie showed Aubrey her phone. "Things seem cool. If Beca was upset, she certainly wouldn't be at the library. That's one of her safe places." Aubrey's relief was obvious in her face. "I'll prod further if it makes you feel better." Aubrey thanked her and said that wouldn't be necessary.

"Stacie, I'm not sure what's gotten into me. I mean she basically ripped my heart from my chest last night. But we somehow ended up having breakfast this morning and working things out. How did she do that?"

The taller brunette had her feet kicked up on the coffee table. "Maybe you like her more than you care to admit short stack. Aubrey asked about you, ya know. I think Chloe must have called her about what happened between you two on the train."

"That why you texted me?"

"Yup. Now hearing what happened, I'm surprised you gave her a chance to explain. Remember when I forgot your birthday last year? You wouldn't talk to me for a week."

Beca chuckled. "Yeah but she's a hell of a lot cuter than you." She ducked as Stacie took a swing at her. "Tell me about your day. How'd things go with Posen?"

"She's flexible. I'll give her that." Stacie wiggled her eyebrows. Beca chastised her for objectifying her boss and asked about the planned lunch after Pilates. "We had a nice visit. She is cautious, reserved even – doesn't show her feelings much. A lot like my best friend."

"Hey now, I think Chloe is proving you wrong on that. I seem to be wearing my feelings on a sleeve around her. When are you seeing Posen again?'

Stacie picked up her phone and unlocked the screen to check her messages. "I'm leaving that up to her. Hey, can you ask Chloe what her favorite flowers are?"

The shorter brunette began to laugh. 'Oh no my friend. I'm not getting wrapped up in that cycle again. I can imagine she'd love anything you sent. I bet she's be even more impressed if you delivered them yourself."

Beca jumped when her phone buzzed. She looked at her best friend, embarrassed. Only Stacie and Chloe ever messaged her, and Chloe's texts were so unpredictable. When Stacie saw her friend's reaction, she tried to wrestle Beca's phone from her grasp. "Let me see it. Lemme have your phone Becs." Stacie was laughing as she had Beca's arm in a death grip with one hand and began to tickle her with the other.

"Sta.. Stacie… That's not fair. STOP IT." Beca hated being tickled. Then again, who liked the sensation? She instinctively dropped her phone to stop the near painful feelings.

Her best friend quickly grabbed the phone and pressed the unlock button. Of course, the phone was password protected, so Stacie quickly grabbed Beca's hand and pressed her thumb against the home button.

From Cute Redhead: Did you return your books late?
From Cute Redhead: Because you have fine written all over you.

"Isn't she the punny gal? That's cute pipsqueak. I see why you like her." She handed the phone back to Beca who snatched it and read the messages herself.

From Cute Redhead: Thanks for today Beca
From Tiny Project Manager: The pleasure was all mine

After a few more messages back and forth and a great deal of teasing from Stacie, Beca locked her phone and tucked it away where her friend couldn't get it again.

Monday morning at work, the project manager was going through her calendar prioritizing tasks and ensuring her schedule was optimal. When she opened her e-mail, she found an unexpected subject line in one that had arrived early this morning.

To: Beca Mitchell
From: Human Resources
Subject: PTO Request
Body:
Ms. Mitchell, your PTO request for five days has been approved.

The project manager was confused since she had not put in for vacation time. In fact, she hadn't taken a single day of vacation or sick leave since starting with the company. She picked up the phone and called Jessica who didn't answer her phone.

Annoyed, Beca glanced through the rest of her e-mails. When she found nothing pressing, she walked around to her boss's office. Jessica was missing from her desk, and someone was in with Posen. The short brunette rolled her eyes and took a seat to wait for the person to leave. Eventually the door cracked open a bit and Beca was surprised to see her best friend standing there. Stacie gave Posen a quick hug, kissed her on the cheek, and turned to head out the door. When she saw her best friend, she winked and headed to the elevator.

Beca walked to the now open door and saw the vase of pink tulips sitting on her boss's desk. Apparently, Stacie had taken her advice and delivered flowers in person. She gave a light rap on the door frame. "Pose… I mean Aubrey. May I come in?" The blonde turned and motioned for her favorite project manager to come in. "HR made a mistake. I got an e-mail saying my PTO had been approved? I never put in for vacation."

Aubrey sat behind her desk and motioned for Beca to do the same opposite her. "That's the problem. You work too hard and never stop. You need to take a break. I applied for your days off, and you taking them is non-negotiable." The project manager tried to argue with her boss but didn't seem to make any traction. "Now go Mitchell. I'll e-mail your team and push back any of your meetings until next week."

A grumpy project manager returned to her office to gather her things. "What makes Posen think she can choose when I take off work." She was trying to not let her ire get to her. Her laptop was shut down and stored in its backpack, and she was looking around to make sure she had everything before heading home when she heard a knock on her office door. "It's open."

A bright voice rang out from the doorway. "Hey you. A little birdie told me you were taking some time off. You didn't mention that yesterday."

Beca's head popped up as she grinned at the redhead who was standing in the doorway. She paused as she looked at the woman, taking her in as any bit of tension she previously had left her body. "I didn't know I was. Posen pretty much forced this on me." She flashed a smile at the redhead. "What I'm concerned about is that if you are not working for a week and I'm off, too, who's going to take care of the kids?" Beca waved her hand towards the plants Chloe had gotten her when she was in Guam.

"I'll get Jessica to take care of them." Chloe giggled. She wandered over to Beca's bookshelf and started looking at the titles as if she'd never seen them before. "So Beca now I can ask you what you asked me yesterday. Any plans?"

Beca gave her a crooked, sidewise grin. "Spending time with a certain redhead?" Her eyes showed the hope her mind was thinking.

"I thought you'd never ask."