The next week consisted of Rachel going to the theater for the show then leaving as soon as she could after the curtain fell. She stayed at her apartment for the most part, even when Sam and Ricky had begged her to come out with them again. She just couldn't risk it. See wasn't sure if she would scream or vomit if she saw Santana again and she didn't want to find out.
Most nights she would slip out of the theater without even taking off her stage make up. She would rush back to her dressing room, slip into the clothes she had from home, then jet before anyone could see her. She had become even more of a hermit, if that was possible.
It has been twelve days since her run in with Santana at the club and as the curtain fell and they took their bows, Rachel once more sped off toward her dressing room to escape as soon as possible. She nearly knocked someone over as she rushed to her room, apologizing as she opened the door.
She froze dead in her tracks when she opened the door and saw a bouquet of flowers sitting on her vanity. She looked around but saw no one nearby that could have dropped them off. She sighed and eyed the flowers. Maybe they were for Sam.
Stepping toward them she pulled the little card off the holder and flipped it open. She was greeted with a neatly typed message: Great show tonight. You looked hot as always. –S
Rachel dropped the note and backed away from the flowers. How dare she?
Rachel backed up so much she ran right into Sam who had come to the dressing room right away knowing that catching her roommate before she left for home was almost impossible.
"Whoa, hey!" Sam said with a huff, her hands wrapping around Rachel's waist to keep the both of them from falling backwards "Where's the fire?"
Rachel jumped, squeaked, then whipped around to face her friend "Shoot, sorry! I didn't see you there."
"Well no shit, you were walking backwards." Sam mumbled with a smirk, letting her friend go and stepping around her toward her own vanity. "Oh pretty flowers. Who sent them?"
Rachel shook her head and went back to the flowers, picking them up and putting them on Sam's vanity with a loud thud "They are for you." Rachel mumbled and quickly went for her bag to change out of her costume.
Sam perked an eyebrow, laughing very softly as she picked up the card that had been dropped and read it. She lifted her legs up to set her feet on the vanity, shaking her head "Nope I think these are for you. I don't know anyone named S who thinks I'm hot."
Rachel sighed and gave her head another shake as she pulled off her shirt and hung it to be cleaned before slipping on a hoodie "Fine. They were for me, but I don't want any part of them. As far as I'm concerned they don't exist so you can have them."
Sam bit her bottom lip, trying so hard to hide her amusement.
Rachel tried to slip out of her pants so quickly she ended up stumbling, falling into her vanity, bouncing off the wall and nearly tumbling over onto her face. She caught herself and growled, pulling her foot out now where it had been tangled in the material.
Sam's smile grew ear to ear as she watched the panic her friend was facing. She shouldn't be amused, but she was.
"What are you smiling at!" Rachel huffed when she turned around, hopping up and down to zip her jeans to the top.
Sam smirked, shaking her head and biting her tongue.
"It is NOT funny." Rachel growled and grabbed her shoes, stuffing a foot in one by one, not bothering to tie them up.
"Rachel, calm down" The girl said softly, sitting up now and reaching out to try and touch her friend's arm.
"I am perfectly calm" Rachel stuffed a brush into her bag then slung it over her shoulder "I am going home now."
"Rach, listen" Sam stood quickly, sliding between Rachel and the door, putting her hands on her roommate's shoulders.
Rachel scowled and folded her arms, looking at her friend with a look as if she was waiting for her to speak.
Sam bit her lip "Don't be mad" She started before her smile spread and she started to laugh softly "I totally sent the flowers! I just wanted to freak you out."
Rachel's jaw dropped to the floor.
Sam started to pull her smile back, biting her lip again "Please don't hate me! Ricky thought it would be hilarious."
"It was…." Rachel shook her head trying to push her away "so not…" She grunted and pushed again, finally able to push by her and grab for the doorknob "Not funny! That was so rude! I can't even begin to describe what I was going through. Did you see me nearly kill myself trying to get out of here?"
Sam laughed a bit, nodding her head "It was fucking hilarious. You almost fell on your face."
"I am glad you enjoyed it!" Rachel growled and swung her bag at her friend, hitting her on the shoulder before she pushed the door open and stepped out "You will be lucky if the locks aren't changed by the time you get home!" She turned on her heels and started to storm down the hallway.
Sam's jaw dropped now and she stepped into the hall, calling down toward Rachel "Come on Rach! It was a joke! Don't change the locks!"
It was too late. Rachel was around the corner and out the door before the last of the words hit her ears.
Ricky had come up behind Sam, him laughing softly as he put a hand on her shoulder "I take it she hated the flower gag?"
Sam turned around and looked at him, rolling her eyes before laughing and hitting him in the stomach "She hated it. But it was priceless. You should have seen her face."
Ricky smirked and nodded his head "Why do you think I hid my flipcam in the room?"
Sam gasped then laughed out loud, high fiving her friend as they went into her dressing room and the two friends went to see what kind of video footage they had captured.
On the subway home, Rachel sat with her eyes closed and let out a long sigh. She was so glad those flowers weren't from Santana. As her panic faded and the train rumbled along, she smiled. Okay, so it was pretty funny. Damn you, Sam.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Rach did you hear!" Sam squealed as she burst out of her bedroom the next morning, leaping over the back of the couch and nearly landing on Rachel who was sitting there enjoying her morning newspaper.
"Oh, we are talking now?" Rachel said without expression on her face, not even looking up at her friend. Yes, she was being stubborn. She would never admit that her joke had been funny. It would inflate her ego way too much.
"Oh shut up! You aren't even going to remember that in a second!"
"Doubtful. I'm like an elephant, I never forget." Rachel said in somewhat of a sing song tone.
Sam reached out and shook Rachel's shoulders "Rachel! We are nominated for a Tony!"
Rachel blinked and looked up, her eyes lifting to look at her roommate "Wh-what?"
Sam bounced on the couch a little, still shaking Rachel, smiling ear to ear "They were announced this morning! The play is nominated for best play."
"What!" Rachel started to bounce now with more excitement "Are you kidding me? You better not be kidding me! I will punch your face off if you are kidding!"
Sam laughed out loud but kept her smile "I'm not kidding! I just got off the phone with Ricky!"
Rachel reached out to take Sam's hands, squeezing them tightly and starting to bounce with her roommate on the couch now more enthusiastically "We are nominated for a Tony?"
"We are nominated for a Tony!"
Rachel and Sam both screamed, then giggled, the hugged each other, then screamed again. Sure, it was the play as a whole and not individual nominations but that didn't matter to them. Their play, the play they loved and had worked so hard on, their little play was being recognized on the highest level. It tasted almost as sweet as if Rachel had been nominated for best lead actress herself. This was one more step on her way to super stardom.
The girls bounced and hugged and screamed for a half hour more before their phones started going off with family and friends getting wind of the news and wanting to congratulate them. The rest of their morning was spent screaming and crying during phone call after phone call from their loved ones.
Later that night as the show ended and everyone buzzed around backstage excitedly, hugging and congratulating each other, Rachel was on such a high she forgot that she usually rushed out of there so as not to risk a run in with the devil, as she had started calling Santana.
"Party at the director's house tonight!" Someone was heard yelling into each dressing room as they made their way down the hallway.
Ricky and Sam high fived and even Rachel nodded "We'll be there!" came a yelled response and the three friends quickly changed from costume and make up before heading to Rachel and Sam's place to get ready for the celebration.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"I can't believe everyone showed up" Rachel mumbled in disbelief as they stood together, drinks in hand, the room full of noise and chatter.
"Why wouldn't they? A party at the director's house with free booze?" Sam laughed a little, taking a sip "There is no way anyone would pass this up. A chance to get messy drunk and mess your boss' house? Hell yeah."
"I'll drink to that" Ricky said with a laugh, touching his glass to Sam's in a cheers before they both took a sip.
Rachel rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coke "So glad I am going to get to witness that."
The two friends laughed and downed their drink and went to get another. Rachel smiled as she settled back, leaning into the wall where the three of them had been standing. She scanned the room and her smile only grew. She loved seeing the excitement on her fellow cast members face's and even the costume designers, makeup and hair people, and lighting crew were there. It was amazing to see this group of people who had worked so hard now celebrating their success together.
Ricky and Sam came back, laughing about something, the two of them clinking glasses together again.
"What?" Rachel asked with a smile, beaming at her friends.
"Joe just said something about the only person being excited that Jules was nominated for lead actress was Jules. She is probably throwing her own party thinking everyone would show up to shower her with praises and we are all here." Sam giggled, nodding her head.
Rachel laughed too, looking around now. She just realized they had not been graced with the presence of their precious leading lady yet. "If she's not here yet that's probably true. Good for her. We don't need her demanding attention and making a speech about how the only reason the play was nominated was because of her."
The three of them made an 'ugh' sound and rolled their eyes all simultaneously.
Just then, their precious leading lady walked in. Rachel looked up when there was an uproar and a whole round of cheers and applause from the people in the room that actually liked Julie, for some reason. Rachel sighed, rolling her eyes and taking a drink "Speak of the devil."
Sam and Ricky cast sideways glances and downed their drinks "Suddenly there doesn't seem to be enough alcohol to make this party fun anymore." Sam mumbled with a laugh.
"Suddenly I feel like drinking" Rachel mumbled, causing the three of them to laugh. They looked at each other and all silently agreed they wouldn't let Julie being there ruin their night. They had worked just as hard as her to get here and they deserved to enjoy the party just as much as she did.
So the three friends made a toast to themselves and spent the rest of the night mingling, laughing, celebrating, and avoiding the queen of the ball as much as they could.
As the night started to dwindle down, and her friend grew more drunk by the moment, Rachel advised they should start to head home since they did have to put on a Tony nominated play tomorrow. That made her friends smile, cheer, and agree that maybe they should go home.
"Let me just stop by the bathroom so I don't have to hold it all the way home." Rachel said with a nod, handing her coke to Sam, who drank it thinking it had rum in it.
"You hath the world's smallest blabber" Sam mumbled, her speech slurred a bit.
"Bladder" Rachel said with a laugh "My blabber is big and long winded."
Sam looked at her with a dumbfounded look, not even sure how that related to their conversation before she shook her head "G'pee".
Rachel slipped away from her friends and easily found an empty bathroom, sighing in relief that she wouldn't have to wait, and quickly slid inside to take care of her small bladder.
As she washed up, she gave a little smile in the mirror. If the play won a Tony there was no telling how far even the smallest bit player could go in their career. This was an open window, as far as Rachel was concerned. This could be the last step she needs to be the next leading lady with her name in lights on Broadway.
A happy sigh left her lips as she dried her hands and pulled the bathroom door open. She immediately bumped into someone waiting for the rest room and backed up "I'm so-" She blinked as she caught eyes with the person she had just run down. She took a deep breath and shook her head a little bit.
"We just can't stop running into each other can we?" Santana's low raspy voice filled her ears.
Rachel blinked again. Her heart raced. She knew this night was too good to be true.
Santana smirked at the stunned silence. It made her feel powerful. "Seems congratulations are in order."
Rachel nodded at that, finding her wits, and clearing her throat "Yeah. The play has been really successful and it's nice to see it get some recognition."
Santana made a sound that resembled an amused purr, her finger lifting to slide along Rachel's arm slowly "That's cute."
Rachel stepped back, pulling her arm away from Santana "It's not cute, it's the truth. And will you please stop touching me!"
Santana pulled her hand back and looked Rachel up and down in that very hungry way she always seemed to do "So why haven't you called me? I don't just give my number to anyone. You have a very small window of opportunity here Rachel."
"Be-because!" Rachel stammered, backing up more until her hips came to rest against the sink "I am not interested. So you go ahead and slam that window shut and find someone else to…to…to whore around with!"
Santana's eyebrows both lifted in a bit of surprise at her words but the look soon faded and her smirk returned, along with that amused purr "Whores get paid, sweetie. I fuck for free."
Rachel curled her lip and shook her head at that, her arms coming forward as she crossed them across her chest "Well then that just makes you a slut then, doesn't it?"
Santana's eyebrows lifted once more, this time the look of near offense did not fade and she too crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed and eyebrows dropped as they knitted together in a scowl "You better watch your mouth. Someone might think you're judgmental and rude."
"Me!" Rachel growled, wanting to shove past her, but she could tell by the size of Santana's arms that she would stand no chance getting physical with her at all, even just to push by "You are the rude one! You invade my space, you touch me without asking, you can't take no for an answer, and quite frankly your hot shit attitude is downright disgusting."
Santana bit the inside of her cheek and fought wanting to tear her hair out. Truth was, as offended she was at the mouth on this little girl, she was also really turned on by it. No one stood up to her. Even when she and Julie fought it was about how amazing Julie was and how she should be enough for Santana. The girl was actually really insecure and needy.
Rachel saw her face and immediately regretted it. She was pretty sure her eyes were about to be gouged out by a hot poker.
"Rachel?" Sam came stumbling around the corner and froze when she saw Santana in the doorway. She looked at the taller girl, then Rachel's eyes full of fear and she immediately stepped between them. Maybe it was because she was drunk, but she had had enough
"Hey, back off!" Sam shouted, shoving Santana out of the doorway and wedging herself between Rachel and the scary predator, sliding her arm around her friend and leading her out of the room.
"I was talking to her, who do you think you are" Santana scowled, reaching out to pull Sam's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.
"Who am I? Who are you!" Sam turned around, slapping Santana's hand away "I'm her friend, her best friend, and she doesn't want you. So why don't you go sit on your damn bitches face and maybe smother her so she dies so we don't have to deal with her anymore because she is a bitch!" Okay, so she was drunk and not making any sense.
"Sam, it's alright" Rachel whispered, pulling at her friend "let's just go."
Sam was still trying to get at Santana as Rachel pulled her much smaller friend down the hallway and away from the now pissed off Santana.
"She don't want yo dirty snatch so you betta slam that shit closed!" Sam wailed down the hallway.
"The fuck?" A drunk Ricky mumbled, coming to see what the commotion was and finding Rachel wrestling back a swearing Sam.
"Ricky, please! Help!"
The taller boy grabbed Sam and scooped her up off her feet, tossing her over his shoulder. Thank goodness he was strong enough to do so.
"Let's go" Rachel wrapped her arm around Ricky's waist and quickly pulled him toward the door. She wanted to get out without anyone noticing, but it was too late. Everyone was staring. Even Julie the queen of attention was staring as Rachel guided them out of the house and quickly toward one of the cars that had been used to chauffer the guests that night.
Opening the back door, she let Ricky set Sam in before he slid in behind her and Rachel brought up the rear. Giving their address to the driver, she slammed the door and buried her face in her hands.
"Holy shit what the fuck happened!" Ricky blinked, looking from Rachel to Sam who was babbling about kicking some ass and saying they should stop so she could go back.
Rachel sighed and shook her head a little "I will tell you when we get back to my place."
Ricky nodded quickly, giving a laugh "That was the best party I've been to in a long time."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
After getting Sam home and asleep, Rachel had explained everything to Ricky. He found it amusing, of course, and said it would be interesting to see what happened the next day at the theater. Boy was he ever right.
Not three seconds after walking backstage to get ready for the play the next day was Rachel face to face with the golden child Julie.
"You…you…you bitch!" Julie spat.
Rachel's eyes went wide and she backed up against a box full of random odds and ends for lighting. She reached back and grabbed the side of the wall so she wouldn't fall "I…what did I do? Julie I swear I didn't do anything."
"Don't you lie to me you worthless little twit. I know what you did!"
"I didn't do anything!" Rachel mumbled trying to sound stern but really she was terrified.
"Santana told me everything. How you came onto her, said she should be with a real star, that I was getting too old and soon no one would want my wrinkled old face to lead their play anymore!"
Rachel blinked fast, shaking her head quickly back and forth "No, Jules. I would never-"
"Stop with your lies! Why should I believe you over my girlfriend?"
"Because I am telling the truth!" Rachel suddenly found her voice and straightened up, invading Julie's space now. "Because your girlfriend is a lying slutty cheater."
There were a few loud gasps from the group that had gathered to watch the exchange taking place in the hallway.
Julie's eyes went open. Rachel had found a very, very sensitive issue and it was obvious by the look on her face. "You…you….whore! You were trying to steal her from me!"
Rachel laughed at that, shaking her head quickly "Oh how wrong you are. Your precious girlfriend has been trying to shove her hand up my skirt the moment she met me. I have morals, unlike her. Or you for that matter."
Another round of gasps.
This time Rachel felt a sharp pain on her cheek as Julie's hand swung around, slapping her right across the face.
"HEY!" One of the security guards came barreling down the corridor now, knocking people out of the way to get to the two girls. He wrapped his arms around Julie and lifted her off her feet. "There is none of that Ms. Nickels!"
"She started it!" Julie wailed "She pushed me first!"
"That's a lie!" came a random voice from the crowd.
"Yeah Rachel is innocent!" Another voice chimed in.
Rachel blinked, looking around in surprise as the group now started to back her up.
The security guard dragged Julie down the hallway toward the director's office now, the door slamming with a thud behind them.
Rachel stood in shock. She had no idea how any of that happened. She was in a complete haze.
All of the sudden, there was a round of applause. The group around her was cheering her on. She got random pats on the backs and high fives. People told her they were proud she had stood up to Julie, comments about it was about time someone put her in her place being heard in passing as everyone went on their way to get ready for the play.
That night, for the first time since the play opened, Julie Nickels did not take the stage. Her understudy sent Rachel a huge basket of muffins in thanks for that.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"I am so pissed I missed it!" Sam wailed as she threw down her cotton ball she had been using to clean her face off.
Rachel sighed and crossed her arms "It was horrifying. I have seen Jules be ugly before but I seriously thought she was going to rip my head off."
Sam laughed softly, shaking her head in amusement "I would have loved to see it!"
"Well if you hadn't been hungover and arrived with me, then maybe you could have."
"You're the one who let me get so drunk" Sam mumbled, turning to sit on the sink now, her feet dangling. The two girls sat in their bathroom, having decided going home right away was a great idea. They didn't want to risk another run in with the Devil and her mistress.
"Oh, right. I am the one that put all of the drinks in your hand." Rachel rolled her eyes, dabbing under her eyes with a makeup towel, holding a small mirror in her other hand.
Sam nodded "You are a bad influence on me."
Rachel growled and tossed a q-tip at the girl.
Sam laughed softly and the two of them quieted down as they hunched over mirrors and cleaned their faces.
A thundering knock on their door broke the silence and Rachel looked at Sam then toward the door then back at Sam "Who the Hell?"
Sam shook her head, shrugging a bit "Maybe it's Ricky."
Rachel shrugged too, drying her face off before sliding off the side of the tub where she had been sitting and headed toward the door.
When she pulled it open she was greeted with a huge bundle of flowers with a balloon tied to it.
"Oh" Rachel said softly, thinking it was from yet another fellow player who had thought she was awesome for standing up to Julie. "Thank you."
"There's this too" The man mumbled and handed her a box. Rachel perked an eyebrow and took it "What's in it?"
The guy thrust a signature pad at her "Dunno. It ain't from me. I just deliver it. Sign please."
Rachel nodded quickly and scribbled her name on the sheet, smiling with thanks as she tucked the box under her arm and took the flowers, kicking the door closed behind her.
"Who was it!" Sam called from the bathroom.
"More flowers!" Rachel called, setting the box on the island counter now as she put the flowers in the sink and turned on the water while she looked for a vase.
"Holy shit, seriously? You're like a god now or something." Sam was laughing as she came out of the bathroom, dabbing her face dry as well. "Who are they from?"
Rachel filled a vase, looking at the flowers for a tag. She shrugged as she pulled them apart, putting them one by one into the vase now "I don't know, there isn't a tag on this one."
Sam shrugged, sliding onto one of the stools at the island. She noticed the box now and slid it toward her "What's this?"
Rachel looked over her shoulder and shrugged "Came with the flowers. It's probably candy or something. Open it."
Sam nodded, sliding her finger under the seam and popped the tape off. She peeled it open and gasped a little "Oh my god!"
"What?" Rachel laughed as she turned off the water and put the last few flowers in the vase "Is it really good chocolate?"
"No" Sam shook her head "Rachel, look."
Rachel turned to look over her shoulder. That's when she saw Sam holding up a shimmering cocktail dress by the straps. It was a sparkly blue color, almost like a disco ball in dress form. Rachel's mouth dropped and her fingers let go of the last couple flowers, letting them fall into the sink as she turned toward the box now. "What in the world?"
Sam shook her head, she was just as shocked as Rachel. She stood from the stool and held it up to herself. It was way too short on her, she had a good four inches on her friend and if she tried to put on the dress it would have showed off her ass.
"It's pretty" Sam said with a smile "Too bad you're tiny."
Rachel sighed and grabbed the dress from her "It's probably not even my size." She flipped the tag out of it and read it. It was exactly her size. "What in the world?"
"Oh, a note!" Sam squealed and looked into the box. She unfolded it and read it over. Her eyes got wide and she looked at Rachel, shaking her head.
"What?" Rachel watched her friend, her own eyes going wide at her reaction "What does it say?"
"Nothing" Sam crumbled it and put it behind her back.
"Sam! What does it say!" She set the dress down and reached for the note, trying to pry it away from her.
"Ew, stop touching me!" Sam squealed, faking disgust.
"Oh shut up" Rachel growled, pinning her against the wall and slipping her hand behind her friend and tried to pry her hand open.
"Rachel you do not want to know!"
"Yes I do!"
"No!"
Rachel growled and finally tugged the note from her fingers. The joy of tiny, skilled fingers. She growled and turned away from her friend, pulling open the note and reading it:
"Heard how you stood up to Jules. That got me so hot thinking about it. I want your dirty mouth all over me. Wear the dress and meet me for dinner tomorrow night at the address below. Don't be late, this is your last chance."
Sam watched her friend read the note and quickly came up behind her, taking the note back and crumbling it again. "It's not funny anymore. This girl is stalker territory."
Rachel blinked a few times. She felt numb. She could not believe what she had just read.
Sam looked at the note in her hand then unfolded it and smoothed it out. She read it over again and laughed softly "Okay, so when she says dirty mouth what is she talking about?"
Rachel looked up at her friend "Huh?" She was still completely numb. Her ears weren't even working.
Sam looked at the note, pointing and quoting "I want your dirty mouth all over me." She looked up "What dirty mouth?"
Rachel blinked and shook her head a little bit, waving her hand to the side "Before you came and rescued me I chewed her out. I called her a whore or a slut or both."
Sam giggled softly, nodding a bit and looked back at the paper "That definitely got her attention."
"Sam" Rachel said softly, her voice trembling as her eyes lifted to look at her friend. She bit her lip and she looked terrified "I don't want to go."
"Then don't."
"But what if it pisses her off and she comes after me? I mean, she knows my address? My dress size? There is no telling what kind of information she could get."
Sam frowned softly and moved to her friend. She slid her hands onto her hips and gave them a squeeze "Don't go. We can get a restraining order if she goes crazy. Maybe we can talk to Julie and have her back off?"
"Oh, right, like me and Julie are best friends." Rachel said with a sigh. She dropped her head and laid it on her arms as she laid it on the island. She couldn't believe her life.
Sam sighed, rubbing her back lightly "Rach, we will figure something out."
Rachel started to bang her head against the counter top. She had no idea how she got to this level. How had her life taken this turn? All she wanted was to be on Broadway, do plays, have a simple life. Now she was terrified to hang out in a theater that had been home for nearly two years. She hated it.
Suddenly she stood upright, her eyes searching the room. When they landed on what she was looking for, she moved around the island and snatched the envelope off the fridge. She pointed at the number and looked at Sam "I am going to call her. I am going to talk to her where she can't touch me or physically threaten me or look me in the eyes and intimidate me. I am going to talk to her like an adult, tell her to back off, that I will not be going to dinner, and I am not interested once and for all."
Sam stared at her friend, shaking her head a little bit "I'm not so sure that is a good idea. Maybe we should just call the cops and let them know what is going on. I am sure they know who Santana is. I am sure they could put some warning out or something."
"No. I am not a chicken. If there is one thing Rachel Berry never does it's back down from a challenge. I am going to talk to her. She will not run my life."
"Rachel, are you sure!" Sam bit her lip, knowing that arguing was a bad idea.
Rachel nodded "Absolutely." She had already dug her phone out and was starting to put the numbers in one by one.
Sam shook her head, sighing a bit "Alright. But put it on speaker so I can hear. In case you need help or something."
Rachel nodded and pressed call before putting it on speaker and setting the phone on the counter.
"Rachel Berry" Santana's husky voice came onto the other end. Rachel could tell she was smirking just by her tone.
"What?" Rachel blinked "How did you know?"
"Same way I knew your dress size and your address, sweetie. Santana Lopez is everywhere."
Rachel sighed, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. It was enough to light her fire. "Listen to me, Santana Lopez, and listen to me good. I have no interest in you. I do not want to date you. I don't want to go to dinner with you. I don't want to sleep with you in any way, shape or form. You are not my type. You are rude and gross. The way you carry yourself is completely grotesque. You cheat on your girlfriend, you use money to buy love, and you toss something away when you are done with it. I would be just another prize and I am not a prize to be had, do you hear me? I could never trust you. I deserve to be with someone who wants me and only me and makes me feel loved and incredible without the use of money."
She took a breath and glanced at Sam who nodded quickly. She needed to continue so she didn't lose her nerve.
Rachel nodded and looked back at the phone "My point is that you need to stop! Stop sending me things, stop talking to me when we are in the same room, and stop touching me!" She growled and nodded at the phone as if Santana could really even see it.
There was silence in the pause and Rachel and Sam looked at each other. Was she still there?
"Um, Santana?" Rachel stuttered "Are you there?"
"Mhm" A soft hum filled the speaker "I was just imaging the things you can do with that obviously talented mouth of yours."
Rachel gasped.
Sam gasped.
Santana laughed softly "Look at that, I'm not even touching you and I'm making you gasp."
"Santana!" Rachel brought a fist down against the phone, shutting it off and ending the call. She looked up at her friend and shook her head "Did you hear that! I…what…how…" She stammered her rubbing her temple in disbelief.
"Damn" Sam said softly, shaking her head "I honestly don't think she knows what no means."
"What am I going to do?" Rachel mumbled softly.
Sam shrugged, looking back at the paper and reading it over again. She held it up and looked to Rachel "Call the police and send them to this address instead of you tomorrow night?"
"I don't think we have enough to get her arrested" Rachel said softly, looking at her phone "I mean, a creepy phone conversation, a nice dress and flowers, and touching my arm aren't exactly grounds for assault."
Sam sighed and looked at the paper again "Do you think she is really going to flip if you don't show?"
Rachel shrugged, throwing her arms up in defeat and shaking her head "Who knows?"
Suddenly her phone let out a ding and Rachel glanced at the screen. She gasped and rolled her eyes "Shit, now she is texting me. I should have blocked my number."
"Rachel, she probably already had your number. She is playing cat and mouse but she holds all the cards."
Rachel knew she was right. Santana probably already knew everything about her. It was terrifying and infuriating.
"What's it say?" Sam asked, nodding to the phone.
Rachel pursed her lips to the side and shook her head.
"Come on, what does it say?"
Rachel rolled her eyes and read it out "I'm so hot right now."
Sam laughed softly. It wasn't in amusement, but disbelief.
"I can't believe her."
Sam marched over and grabbed the phone from Rachel, typing out a message and sending it before Rachel could say no.
"Hey! Sam! What did you say? Why did you do that!"
"Trust me" Sam said with a nod. "I told her that she had a girlfriend and any other whore in New York to take her frustrations out on. She needs to learn she can't dirty talk you."
The phone let out a ping again and Sam opened the message reading it. "Oh Jesus."
"What!" Rachel snatched the phone and read it "None of them compare to you. You have class. That is totally hot."
Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head "At least she knows I have class."
Sam laughed a little and looked at her "What are you going to do? I actually am starting to think she likes you."
"She is playing a game. She realizes the confident badass doesn't work so she is trying…" She motioned at the phone and shrugged "She is trying sensitive sweet talker now! It is not going to work."
Sam shrugged, leaning against the island staring at her friend "We need a plan."
"For what?"
"For what you are going to do. She is obviously not going away, Rach."
Rachel knew it was true. She bit the inside of her cheek, chewing it softly as she looked at her phone. She looked at the flowers and the dress. She looked at the note and the phone number. She had no idea what to do.
Sam broke the silence, a smirk on her lips "What if you showed up, in the dress, tomorrow night but you had a date?"
"Huh?" Rachel looked at her friend like she was talking jibberish "I am pretty sure that is what Santana has in mind tomorrow night."
"No, I mean, with someone else. What if you showed up late at the same restaurant, wore her dress, but was with someone else and act like you totally forgot she was going to be there. That would drive her crazy!"
"Yeah, so crazy she might literally leap onto my table and strangle me senseless!"
"She wouldn't in public. She has a reputation to protect. Maybe being stood up would take a blow to her ego." Sam nodded excitedly, laughing a bit.
"And then she will just kill me in private."
"No, she will be so mortified that she will get the hint. A player doesn't like hearing no but they know their way around it. But, hate being told yes and being lied to. There is no way to get around that." Sam gave a clap, loving her idea.
Rachel shook her head but didn't argue. She stared at her phone and let out a sigh. She chewed her lower lip then looked up at Sam with a shrug "You really think that will work? That she would really get the message if I stand her up for someone else?"
"It would be like giving her a taste of her own medicine. I mean, think about it. I bet you all her old girlfriends just wanted attention from her then they would see her on the town with someone else. It would be like doing exactly that to her! She would get a taste of how it feels."
Rachel nodded her head a little bit, thinking it over. It was worth a shot. She tapped her fingers on the counter top and looked up at her roommate with a nod "Let's do it. Let's show her what it feels like to want attention and not get it."
Sam squealed, slapping the counter excitedly "I am SO being your date."
"But you aren't gay!" Rachel said with a laugh "She is going to know it's a set up."
"How will she know?"
Rachel looked at her like she had a third arm hanging out of her forehead.
Sam sighed and rolled her eyes "Fine. But I am going to be at the bar watching."
"Deal." Rachel picked up her phone and started to text.
"Wait, what are you doing! You can't tell her you're coming, then the whole pretending you didn't know she was going to be there thing won't work!"
Rachel laughed a bit "I'm not! I'm finding a date, silly!"
Sam grinned, nodding a bit and leaned over to look at her phone. The two of them huddled around the phone as Rachel searched her contacts, looking for a friend that would be down with the plan. It was definitely going to be an interesting next 24 hours.
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