Had a couple of people here and over on Ao3 asking for a sequel and I couldn't resist, so here we are. Apparently I'm a little tease though and you'll see at the end, why that that is. Enjoy!
"Get your shit together, Greene."
Beth sinks down onto the closed toilet lid, grips the knot of her towel and glares at the bathroom door, of which her best friend stands on the other side of. Guess the glare was kind of a waste on the wood but so be it. "I'm tryin'."
"Not hard enough!" Daisy shouts from further away, perhaps having dipped into her bedroom next door. "I don't see why you're so nervous, you already banged the guy. In a bar, the first night you met him, in a toilet stall, up the wall."
Beth scowls, her cheeks flooding red. "Okay, so I got brave one time. But I don't even know nothin' about this guy, Dais. He could be a serial killer or a… or anythin'. Why you pushin' for me to get murdered?"
She hears Daisy laugh, closer to the door now and rolls her eyes. "Come on, Greene. You know it ain't like that. You had fun, so did he. He wants to have you over, it ain't rocket science."
Beth sighs and hunches over herself on the toilet, gripping the wet tangles of her hair. "He's twice my age."
Daisy's voice resonates through the crack of the door, "didn't care 'bout that in the bar, you saucy minx."
Beth laughs, sitting up straight. "Go away, I need to get ready."
"Fine, but we got some emergency codes to sort through before you leave, so hurry up!" Her friend's voice drifts further away until the last of her sentence barely carries up the stairs.
Beth sighs again and stands from the toilet, wiping down the mirror to glance at herself. It's so easy for Daisy to be confident. She's gorgeous, with a great body to match, one that no guy has complaints with. Beth is different and yes, she got a boost of courage the night she met Daryl, but now she's had time to reflect on it and she's worried herself a storm. For one thing, he's twice her age. For another, she doesn't know who the hell he is. She couldn't really make enquiries so she had Daisy do it, but even her friends usual FBI rated skills have let Beth down.
That was just the beginning of her problems.
In no particular order, there was the fact that she didn't want to be caught sleeping with an older man. Not by anyone who knew her parents or her siblings and most definitely not her siblings themselves, or anyone at school who could make her life hell. It wasn't even just about her reputation either, it was the very real fact that Daryl would get in trouble. She doesn't know him well. They've been texting since they met at the bar, but this will only be their second meeting. Even still, he seems like a decent guy and she may be eighteen, perfectly legal and within her rights to sleep with who the hell she wants, but it's a small town.
People have known the Greene's since before Maggie was born, let alone her. Daryl would get arrested and if not that, then shot through with her daddy's shotgun. That was one problem. The list went on. He could be a murderer, a sadist or he could expect all sorts of things from her, being an older man. He could hurt her. She didn't truly believe any of these things but she had to be logical and cautious. The biggest problem she faces is going over to his place. No one but Daisy knows she's seeing Daryl and so no one knows where he lives, most certainly wouldn't know where to look if she went missing.
Of course, she plans to set up code words with her best friend and Daisy already has Daryl's address after he text it to Beth, but that's only one person. If he was so inclined, he could hurt her before Daisy even knew what was going on. Beth squeezes her eyes shut and takes a deep breath. She has to stop doing this. Being cautious, practical, is one thing. Worrying herself to death is entirely another. Maybe she isn't a great judge of character, but she has to remember how Daryl acted in the bar when she met him. He hadn't truly expected anything from her, it was her who kissed him, her who offered herself.
He knew she was young and he ensured she wasn't drunk when she made it clear she wanted to have sex with him, even said he would only tell on her if she got someone in trouble. Daryl was a good guy. In the small time she flirted with him, he was willing to look out for a stranger and her. She doesn't have to panic. All he said was pizza and a movie.
Daisy swore up and down that it was code for sex and she's willing to have sex, wants to have sex, has prepared for it even with a hot shower and a fresh shave, but she doesn't believe that's all Daryl wants her there for. It makes her feel marginally better. Steeling her shoulders, Beth sets to work on getting herself ready. Creams her body, brushes her teeth, does her make-up and dresses, then leaves the bathroom and makes her way downstairs with wet hair.
She finds Daisy in the kitchen, putting something in the oven; she straightens up and grins at the sight of Beth. "Lookin' good."
Beth ruffles her fingers through her wet hair. "You sure? Not too much?"
Her friend shakes her head. "Casual clothes, saucy makeup. Perfect balance: semi-casual. It works. You wearin' your leather jacket?"
She nods, ruffling her hair more so it stands up slightly on the left side of her face in an 'I didn't make any effort for you, this is perfectly natural' kind of way. Was she trying too hard? She grimaces at herself and leaves her hair alone. "Okay, what're our codes?"
Daisy clears her throat, suddenly looking serious and Beth smothers a smile. She's reassured her best friend that Daryl is a great guy -from what she knows of him so far- but she's glad Daisy loves her enough to keep her secret and ensure her safety. "Okay, so I've already got his address, but when you pull up, text me to let me know if it's his real address."
Beth laughs. "Real? Like, what… he gives me a fake one then shoves me in the back'a van?"
Daisy shrugs. "Possibility. Anyway, next step: you call me when he orders pizza." She pauses to insert an eye roll, which works as well as if she had used quotation marks. "I ask you if you ordered pepperoni-"
"I hate pepperoni."
"You hate pepperoni."
They grin at each other, having spoken in unison. "If you say, "no, but I'm thinkin' 'bout it," I know you feel off but you're not yet in the danger zone. If you say, "yes," I know you're in the danger zone and I call your daddy."
Beth grimaces again. "Let's hope Daryl ain't a creeper, 'cause I don't wanna see my daddy's face after that call."
Daisy makes a face much similar to the one Beth is. "Tell me 'bout it."
"So, what if I feel like he's slightly creepy when you ask about pepperoni, but then I'm in the danger zone after our phone call?" Beth asks as she glances at her phone.
Nearly time to go.
Daisy taps her manicured fingernails against the counter before shrugging. "How 'bout you call me an' say you wished you had ordered pepperoni now?"
Beth nods. "That's good, but what if I'm totally in danger an' I can't get my phone?"
Her friends bites her lip, forehead pinched. "Hmmm. I'll only call you three times if you don't call me. After that, all bets are off an' I call your daddy. Deal?"
Beth grins and wraps her friend up in a hug. "Deal. Love you, Dais."
Daisy sighs in her ear and squeezes her tight. "Love you too, Beth. Be careful."
"I promise."
They detach shortly after and Beth gets her coat and shoes on, Daisy fussing behind her like her own mother. "You got your overnight bag, 'case you wanna stay?"
"Yep."
"Phone charged and charger on you?"
"Yep."
"Condoms?"
Beth laughs in surprise. "Yes! I'm gonna be fine. Just don't let my parents get ahold of your parents."
Daisy follows her out to the car she's lending Beth to drive over there. Another safety precaution: not relying on Daryl to get out of there, if she needs to. "Why would they? They think we're at home with 'em."
"That's what I'm worried about. What if my daddy finds out your parents are outta town?" She asks as she climbs in the front seat, throwing her bag in the passenger one.
Daisy leans in the window as she clips her belt. "Shouldn't happen, but if it does, I'll figure summin' out, don't worry. Have fun."
Beth grins at her friend's wink. "Thanks. I'll let you know if I'm stayin'."
Daisy nods, stepping back from the car to allow Beth to reverse and drive out. They wave at each other until her friend fades into the background. Now, time to see if Daryl really is a creeper or if she's going to have the hottest, best sex of her life.
Don't hate me! I may have cut off your smut, I'll more than make up for it though ;).