Chapter 3.
"I can't believe I'm doing this!" as the Musgrave girl talked to herself, as she kept glancing towards the doors waiting for the tall brunette to meet her. Why am I so nervous? We're just going out. To dinner. Which was unexpected. Not that I mind. She grins to herself. She was so into her thoughts that she didn't realise that Riley was just staring at her from behind. "Ahem." "Oh! You're here!" Mandy replied smiling pulling her out of her daze. "What? You think I was going to bail on you or something?" "No, of course not! Who wouldn't jump at the chance to go out to dinner with the lovely moi? My fans would be going green with envy!" she replied back. Riley scoffed back as she playfully nudged the girl. "Now who's going to sue who, huh?" she looked into the dark brown eyes of the taller girl. "Touché" she grins back. "So, where are you taking me to dinner? Since I'm so lucky to be going out to dinner with the famous Mandy Musgrave" she questioned the girl in front of her. "I'm not sure, I only just met you haha what are you in the mood for?" "Well, I'm not really big on fancy dinners, I mean, if you're trying to impress me, it's really not all that necessary," she smirks charmingly at the girl "I grew up eating burgers and pizza haha," "And, yet you still managed to stay fit all those years, amazing!" Mandy says as she eyes the girl up and down. "Are you going to start drooling as well?" she winks at the girl again, which caused the younger girl to blush. "I know this diner that's just a couple blocks down, it's pretty good!" "Sounds great! Let's go!" she says as she starts heading to the direction the younger girl pointed to. The girl just shakes her head as she followed the older brunette. Conversation flowed easily between the two girls and in no time they arrived at the diner. As they were seated, Riley looked around her surroundings and was in awe with the vintage jukebox they had near the side and pictures of James Dean and Elvis Presley hung on the walls. "This place is amazing!" "Ya, I know, right? I loved it the first time I walked in here." The two girls smiled at each other as the waitress set down the menu's and asked if they would like to order there drinks first. "Ya, sure I'll get a strawberry milkshake" says Riley who's smiling like a little girl. "I'll get iced tea" she chuckles back at the girl in front of her who's smiling back. "So…" "So…" the two laughed again at the awkward silence. "So, what made you decide to become an actress?" "Since I was little – I've always been intrigued with theatre and acting and I guess it grew on me ever since. When did you decide that photography was your calling?" "Ever since I learned how to work a camera" she laughs. "I just loved how I can take beautiful pictures and make them into something more when I play around with some of the prints. It just blows me away every time." The questions went on for a few more minutes until the waitress came back to take there orders. Riley ordered a burger and fries. Mandy ordered a crispy chicken salad. As they asked some more questions about each other, Mandy's phone started to ring. "Sorry" she says as she answers her phone. "Hello?" "Hey babe! Where are you? I thought we were going to go out for dinner tonight?" "Matt! Sorry! I totally forgot! I just met a friend and we decided to go out for dinner and I totally spaced that we were supposed to go out!" "It's okay…who's you're friend?" inquired Matt. "Riley. No Riley is a girl." Man, he seemed relieved when I said that. "I don't know when we'll be done…" "We could go now if you'd like?" whispered Riley. Mandy shook her head no as the other girl smiled. "Look I gotta go, sorry babe, I'll call you when I get back to my room. Bye." click "Boyfriend?" "Ya…sorry about that!" "Hey, no worries! I can see this" she points to herself mimicking Mandy earlier, "could distract you" she replies while smirking at the other girl. "Hmmm touché." And they both ended up in a fit of giggles again. "Alright so true or false? I've been dying to ask you this since the conference." "Well, that was certainly random!" she replies back laughing. "What is it that you want to know?" "Did you and Gabrielle ever have a thing offset?" she asks toothily. "Haha you and everyone else who's ever watched the show would want to know!" she says sitting back and laughing. "Is that a yes?" "Why do you want to know?" "Well, from what I've heard, it seems like you guys have such great chemistry on-screen and usually that means that they're either doing each other or they're just that great of an actress that it seems so real." "Okay, first. Ouch. And, second, are you saying we wouldn't be such great actors if we weren't into each other?" "Haha, I didn't mean it like that, I'm sure you both have great acting skills, it's just. I don't know. Curious I guess" she replies looking directly into the eyes of the Musgrave girl in front of her. "Truthfully and off the record" she lowers her voice as she leans in closer to the table towards the older girl. "Truthfully and off record" the other girl replies as she too leans forward towards the younger girl. Only inches apart, Mandy leans into Riley's left ear and whispered "we had a small thing, but we realise we were just getting into the parts of Ashley and Spencer and mixing up our feelings for each other, that it was better to be just friends – close friends. Plus, she has Justin, her fiancé, and he's such a nice guy – he would have to be if he's going to marry my best friend" she leaned back smiling back at the older girl. "So, I guess I was right then." "Right about what?" Mandy says as she took a sip of her iced tea and taking a bite of what was left of her salad. "You both had a thing AND you both can act, which is a plus cuz you're both pretty hot" she winks as she took a bite of a fry off her plate. "Ya I guess…" she says as she was caught off guard from the last comment the older girl made. "But seriously, don't tell anyone, or the fans would just die! Not to mention other things that could blow way out of proportion" "Cross my heart" she replies looking into the deep brown orbs in front of her. "So, then, are you gay? Bi? Undecided?" "I'm…not into labels" she smiles back toothily. "Fair enough. Neither am I" she winks back.
Before they even knew it, a few hours have passed and they've already know so much about each other. It seems as if they were always old friends and that they were just catching up on old times. It just felt comfortable. For both girls. Riley glanced down to her watch and saw it was nearly 10pm. "Wow! Time sure has gone by pretty fast!" she says as she stretches. Mandy just laughs as she too started to stretch, "so should we head back?" "Sure!" They paid the bill, much to Mandy's protest, Riley stole the bill and paid for there meal. "Thanks! I owe you one." "I'm going to have to hold you to that Ms. Musgrave" she winks back at the girl. She nods her head as they headed back towards the hotel. As they got to the elevator, Mandy's phone rang again, she looked at the caller ID and realised that it was Matt again. "Well, I guess I'll see you around Musgrave," she says as she figured the younger girl would want to answer her phone and Riley just didn't feel up to being around when she did. "Umm, ya sure, okay…I'll see you around though, right?" "We have the rest of the week…I'll be around" she winks one last time at the girl and smiles as she headed up the elevator. The phone still ringing in her hand, Mandy sighed as she answered "Hey, sorry I just got back to the hotel. What? Sure I can meet up for a bit. My room? Sure. I'll see you soon. You too. Bye." The younger sighs again as she presses the button for the elevator. She soon realises something. Shit! I totally forgot to get her number! She grumbles to herself as the elevator door opens and she steps in. She put her hands to her head. Stupid Stupid Stupid.