Heaven Sent
Chapter 5
*0*0*
I normally do my best to look professional since I'm always in the office and in court but tonight, tonight I wanted to look better, not like I was cooped up in an office all day. It was Beth's recital and of course parents dressed nicely but when I looked in the mirror I knew I had gone in a different direction. My hair was straightened out past my past my shoulders. I was wearing a black fitted dress that was snug against my body. The neck line went low enough to show some cleavage yet not too much to still be considered classy. The sleeves came up to my elbows and the hem line of the dress down past mid-thigh. All topped off with a pair of heels. My makeup was simple, except for my eye shadow which was had more of the smoky effect which helped bring out the color of my eyes.
"Hey Quinnie dear are you…darling you look.." my mom says as she walks in with Beth already wearing her light pink ballerina costume.
"Mommy, you look great!"
"Thank you baby," I say as I scoop her up in my arms. "But not as cute as you look."
"Thanks mommy." She said with a bright smile. I gave her one last hug and kiss the top of her head as I set her back down on the floor. She skipped back out of the room, I assume to color before we go.
"Are Britt and Mike here?"
"Yes they're waiting in the living room. Sam is meeting us there right?" My mom asks.
"Yeah he's bringing Mercedes so I'm sure you'll have fun with that." I joke to my mom. She always loves to get into who the three of us are dating. "From what Sam has told us and the little of what I've seen she seems like a really good girl for him. I'm sure you'll approve."
She lets out a laugh and says, "I'm sure I will but I think I'm a little more concerned with who you're trying to impress."
"What?"
"Don't play stupid with me sweetie. I'm your mom I know things and from the way your dressed I can see it's true."
"No mom, I'm not. Actually I look too.."
"Stunning" my mom interjects with a wink.
"No, but whatever it is it's not for a children's dance recital. I'm going to change."
"What no, Quin you look great. Don't change." Britt says from the doorway of my room.
"I'm glad you're here maybe you can talk some sense into her." My mom says as she leaves the room. She knows whatever it is Brittnay will be able to get me to talk and she's right.
I had already told Britt of my conversation with Santana and her asking if she could bring someone.
"C'mon Q, you look hot. What happened to the fierce girl I knew back in high school and in the court room? I can see she's physically here but mentally not so much. What's up?" She's now sat right next to me on the bed.
"I don't know B, I haven't done this in a long time. And the last time I did Puck, well you know what happened. I don't think I can get over that."
"You're still the strong girl you've always been. You're her every time you go to work."
"The court room is different Britt."
"No it's not. Ok maybe a little but she's in there and I know she's just clawing to get out. Don't be afraid. Puck was a major douche not to mention a complete idiot." A frown forms on her face from thinking about him but it fades and she smiles at me. "Show Santana what she could have if she would just open her freaking eyes."
At that I couldn't help but smile because she was right. I would make her see what she was missing out on. Deep down I knew that's what I was doing with the dress and all but having Britt there giving me that extra little push helped.
*0*0*
Once we were at the recital Beth went back stage right away with the rest of the girls to get the last preparations ready for the show. Mercedes, Sam, Mike, Brittnay, my mom, and I were all in a group talking. I looked to my right and I saw Santana standing next to the woman's restroom. She was wearing a halter top dress that fit like it was molded to her body. The top half of it was beige and the rest was black. Her hair was curled and went past her shoulders. She looked great and the heels she was wearing made her legs just look that much better. Shaking my head of those thoughts and putting on a tougher exterior I strutted myself over so she could get a good look at me. Before I had walked away completely my two best friends and mother gave me knowing smiles.
"Hi Santana," I said when I came up behind her.
She slowly turned around and I finally got to see her from the front. She was still wearing a brace for her shoulder and her face was pretty much free of all her cuts. In her free hand she held a big bouquet of flowers. Her eyes not so discretely scanned my body from head to toe then finally went back up to meet mine.
"Wow," she said almost like she was out of breath. "You look amazing."
"You too," I said with ease. Internally I was proud and smiled with joy but externally I just gave her a little smirk. "Um, so where's your date?" I couldn't help the bitterness that escaped when I asked her that.
"Oh, Steph" she laughed. "She had to use the restroom. She'll be out in a bit. So who's the lucky guy?"
"Excuse me?"
"Your date? You look way too amazing to not have a date." She asked with a look I couldn't quite decipher.
I felt my face flush but I didn't back down.
"Oh really?" I arched my eyebrow back at her. "Thank you but no guy, no girl. I'm flying solo. You don't look so bad yourself. I'm sure Steph," I said Steph with bit more disdain than I had planned. "is a lucky girl to have you as a date. Are those for her?" I signal to the bouquet.
I small smile graced her face. She opened her mouth to say something but the door behind her opened cutting her off from saying anything.
"San," a voice rung out. "I'm ready to go in."
Her small smile turned into so a wide one as se said, "Steph I want you to meet Quin, Quin this is my date, Stephanie," she said Steph with a hint of mischief. She turned slighty and I saw Stephanie. She was cute little brunette girl. I immediately felt foolish for my previous actions. "She's Blaine's niece. He was supposed to baby sit tonight but he ended up having a date and well he's been great with trying to help my injured self so I told him I would watch her. Then you called and well here we are."
"Hi Stephanie." I extend my hand and take hers to shake.
"Quin? Oh you're thee Quin."
"Huh?"
"Nothing," Santana cut in. "We really should be getting inside don't you think."
Stephanie just giggled and we made our way inside to the seats Sam had saved us.
*0*0*
When the show was over Beth made her way off stage and over to us.
"Baby you did a wonderful job out there." I told her while I picked her up and gave her a big kiss.
A stream of 'Beth you were great' 'You killed it' 'Good job kiddo' and other things came flying at her when I put her down. Everyone hugged her, Mike, Sam and Brit also gave her a couple of fist pumps and high fives. She was so busy with them that when she finally made her way over two the last two people her eyes almost popped out of her sockets.
"You made it!" She screamed as she ran and jumped up into Santana's arms.
Santana made an umph sound when she crashed into her. I can only think that she was still in pain from the accident. She was surprisingly still strong enough to pick her up with her free arm.
"Of course I did. A little birdie told me you had a dance recital and I just couldn't miss it. You danced beautifully. Oh these are for you." She handed her over the bouquet of flowers.
"They're soo pretty, thank you." She gave her one last hug and Santana put her down.
"Beth I want you to meet Steph. She's Blaine little niece."
"Hey, I'm not little I'm six! I can use the restroom by myself now thank you." She argued with Santana before turning to Beth. "Hi Beth, that was a really nice performance."
"Hi Steph, thank you." After that Beth then turned to me, "Mommy look I got flowers."
"I see that honey, we'll put them in a vase when we get home."
"San," Stephanie tried to whisper up to Santana. "Don't forget we have to go the bakery before we go home to get the bread for our hot chocolate."
At the mention of Santana's hot chocolate, Beth was up and inviting herself over to Santana's.
"Hot chocolate?! The kind you made us last time? Can we go again? Please?" Beth all but pleads to Santana.
"Yeah of course," Santana says to Beth with a smile. Then adds, "but you have to ask your mom if that's ok, what if she already made plans for you two?"
"Oh no, we couldn't impose on you like that." I quickly interject. "Clearly you and Steph had plans for tonight already."
Her soft deep brown orbs meet my hazel ones and I can't seem to move. Her lips turn into a broad smile before she tells me, "Don't be crazy I did leave you and Beth with a formal invite for hot chocolate anytime." Her eyes seem to have turned a shade lighter in the time our eyes were locked. "Besides we were just going to head home, pop in a movie and relax with some hot chocolate for the rest of the night. You're both more than welcome to join us."
I'm only pulled away from her eyes when Beth tugs on my arm, "Pleeeeeeese mommy?"
The puppy eyes. She knows it hard for me to turn her down when she does that. I do want to go to Santana's though. Get to know her better.
"Well it is Friday night, I guess we could do that then."
"Yay!" Beth squeals.
"Not so fast," I tell Beth as she was running off to get her coat. "Go say thank you to everyone who came and say your goodbyes while you're at it. I'll be there in a sec."
When she made her way over I told Santana I was going to go and say goodbye to everyone as well. As I turned around I saw Britt and Sam were both waiting for me.
"So we hear you're going over to Santana's" Sam and Britt both say with smirks plastered on their faces.
"Oh shut up, both of you. Yes we're going over. Beth sort of made her invite us over."
"Don't do that," Britt scolds me. "Don't second guess yourself. You're hot.."
"She's hot" Sam adds and we both turn to look at him. "C'mon I'm not blind."
"As I was saying," Britt continues. "You're hot, she's hot. Enjoy yourself. Even if this thing ends up being a little fling, you deserve to be happy Quin. But I doubt it's a fling 'cause you're totally into her!"
I swat at her arm but I smile back at her none the less. We all hug. Beth and I say our farewells and catch up to Santana and Stephanie who already have their coats on. Well Stephanie has her coat on. Santana is struggling to put hers over her since she can't exactly put it on. She's crouching down next to the six year old so she can help but it's proving to be difficult.
"Damn it, where's freaking Sugar when you need her?" I hear Santana say to no one in particular.
"Well I'm not Sugar but I can help" I say to her once we get close.
Santana straightens back up as I grab the coat from Stephanie and swing it around her shoulders. I'm standing in front of her, swinging it over her head like a matador would a bull. When it's firmly set, I even out her collar and my fingers graze her skin. She is so warm and as I look into her eyes I can feel it again. That thing she does, where she does nothing at all but is still so damn alluring. Before I can fully come to terms with how close we are Santana speaks up.
"No you sure aren't sugar, but you are very sweet. Thanks." She flashes those pearly white teeth at me and even though it was so cheesy, I couldn't stop the pink tint that covered my cheeks. "Well girls, shall we? I got a big comfy sofa, movie, and hot chocolate at home calling out our names."
"Yay!" both girls say as we head out.
Santana walks out in front of us to open and hold the door as we go by. She's so chivalrous even when she's hurt. I think to myself and smile.
"Beautiful little girls first," she says to Steph and Beth who apparently hit it off and are holding hands. They giggle at Santana. Beth ducks down with a small smile, a little shy at the comment but continues talking about whatever it is they have found in common. "And of course this beautiful lady" she says to me with a wink.
"Thank you," I say when I pass by and I give her what I can only hope looks like a meaningful gaze. Small smile, eyebrow slightly arched and eyes locked on hers. I add a tad more sway to my hips when I continue walking, knowing she'll look. It takes her about a good thirty seconds to follow after. When she does she whistles for a cab, we all huddle in and finally head off towards her apartment.