Chapter 8

'So how was 'Girls Weekend' with Quinn?' Kurt asked me over the phone as I looked through my emails.

'It was fun. Interesting, but fun,' I replied honestly as I desperately adjusted my pencil skirt. It was so fucking tight. Seriously, how was I supposed to sit down in this thing without cutting off the circulation to a vital organ?

I was in my office at work. I'd just finished the paper work for a case that had been closed earlier in the day. I'd gone back to work a few months after Brittany left when my depression had lifted a bit. I'd missed a lot but my boss was eager to have me back, even if it was only on a part time contract. I could have gone back full time but I knew that it would seriously alter how often I was able to see Natalia and now that we had bonded, I wasn't about to give up spending time with her. Going back to a work was difficult at first. Getting back into a routine when you've spent nearly two years doing nothing apart from feel sorry for yourself is a tough task to take on. As I got back into the swing of things though, I started to enjoy my work again. It was nice to have something to do again. It made me feel important. Plus, the fact I worked part time with flexible hours meant that I still had plenty of time to go round to Quinn's house and get ridiculously drunk in the middle of the afternoon.

'I can only imagine what you two got up to,' Kurt giggled into the phone. I chuckled. If only he knew...

'Did you meet anyone special?' He asked me hopefully.

'Nope, just me and Quinn and a bartender who thought we were prostitutes,' I laughed as I remembered the night at the bar.

'Oh lord, I don't even want to hear the end of that story,' Kurt groaned and I could tell that he had probably covered his face with one of his hands. 'You know, Santana, if you're interested, Blaine has this fr-'

'No, Kurt,' I said sternly as I frowned. He and Blaine were always trying to set me up with their lesbian friends and it never went well.

'Please, Santana, I promise you this one is great,' Kurt pleaded with me.

'You said that about the last one, Kurt.'

'How was I supposed to know she had a fetish for breast feeding? She seemed normal!'

'Well she definitely wasn't,' I replied quickly, 'it was fucking creepy, Kurt. The one before her was weird as well.'

'What do you have against flannel shirts, Santana? You're gay, get used to it.'

'I will never wear a flannel shirt and I will never be with someone who wears them, Kurt, no matter how hard you try. It's not my style.'

'Fine, Santana,' Kurt huffed, 'I'll never try to help you find someone again.'

'Thank you,' I replied smiling. That had shut him up. I paused before I continued. 'Why are you and Blaine pushing for me to meet someone anyway?'

I knew that Kurt knew what was going on between Brittany and this guy. He'd hinted that he'd known at the sports day but I'd assumed that it was about Louise. Berry seemed to know something as well when Quinn and I were round for dinner. However, there was more of a chance of Rachel squealing to Brittany that I'd been questioning her so I decided to get it out of Kurt instead.

'No reason, we just think that maybe you should try to move on, that's all,' Kurt replied sweetly, 'We want you to be happy.'

'That's cute,' I replied just as sweetly, 'but I have moved on. What's the real reason?'

I wasn't lying. I had moved on. Yeah, I still loved Brittany but I wasn't in love with her and I never wanted to be again. Just because I didn't want her to be with anyone else didn't mean that I wanted to be with her. We'd done that and in the end I'd been a mess. She was my estranged wife and we had a child together, of course I was obsessed with who she was seeing. It was perfectly normal.

'That's the only reason, Santana,' Kurt replied quickly.

'But it's not though, is it?' I replied faster.

'Yes, it is.'

'No, it's not.'

'Yes, it is.'

'No, it's not.'

'It really is though.'

'But it's really not though.'

'Yes, it is, Santana!'

'But it's not, Kurt!'

'You need to move on.'

'But I have, Kurt,' I pressed. I was determined to get it out of him. 'Why is it so important that I meet someone?'

'It just is!'

'But why, Kurt?'

'Because it is!'

'Why?'

'Santana, I'm n-'

'Why?'

'Santana-'

'Why?'

'Don't do th-'

'Why, Kurt?'

'Because Brittany has!' Kurt practically screamed at me. Jackpot.

'Oh, really?' I smirked. It wouldn't be difficult for me to get more information out of him. 'Who?'

'No, I've already said too much,' Kurt huffed at me. 'It's not my thing to tell you.'

'Well nobody else fucking is so you'll have to,' I snapped back.

'You'll need to ask Brittany about it.'

'No, Kurt, you know she won't tell me,' I sighed angrily.

'Then maybe you don't need to know about,' he retorted.

'If this person is spending time with my daughter then I'd say I do need to fucking know about it,' I growled at him. 'God, why will nobody tell me what's going on? I'm not crazy anymore!'

'Fine, I'll tell you,' Kurt sighed heavily. I smirked into the phone, the crazy card always worked. I could tell he was regretting calling me. 'His name is Brett. He's a personal trainer and he moved here from Columbus about a year ago. He's divorced and his son lives with his ex-wife. Can I go now?'

'No, tell me more,' I requested as I logged into Facebook on my computer. 'What's his full name? Tell me everything you know.'

'Santana, I really don't think this is appropriate,' Kurt said desperately.

'Do it, Kurt, or I'll be blindsided and will slip into a deep depression and you'll have to take me to the loony bin this time,' I teased him as I looked up this Brett guy.

'Don't joke about that, Santana!' Kurt yelled at me before he continued. 'His name is Brett McCallum and he's thirty eight. He graduated from Michigan State, his favourite food is lasagne, he wears chinos or sport shorts, he has a seven year old son who lives with his ex-wife, he's a Republican-'

'Wait, what?' I shouted in disbelief. 'He's a Republican but he's divorced and is dating a woman who has a child from a lesbian relationship?'

'I know, I was really shocked too,' Kurt explained, 'but he seems to be one of the more 'forward thinking' ones, if that's possible.'

'Okay, continue,' I replied angrily. Not only was Brittany dating a guy, she was dating a Republican. Could he be any more opposite than me?

'Okay, so he's a Republican,' Kurt continued, 'he likes country music, he has a sister, Louise, his family have a cabin at Lake Baldwin, he has never seen Wicked, he calls Natalia 'Natty' and he's good at drawing cartoons.'

'He calls her what?' I barked down the phone.

'He calls her 'Natty', Santana,' Kurt replied quietly. He knew he'd said something wrong.

'How many times has he met her?' I asked in disbelief. Three days ago I didn't even know this guy existed and now I found out that he had a nickname for my daughter? I pulled up his profile on Facebook. Four mutual friends? What th-. 'Hold on a minute, how many times have you met him, Kurt?'

'A few,' Kurt replied meekly.

'How many times do you mean by a few? Don't mess with me, Hummel, I'm so fucking pissed off right now,' I warned him angrily. The four mutual friends were Kurt, Blaine, Rachel and Finn. So they'd all met him yet I hadn't even heard of him? I was going to fucking destroy Brittany.

'The first time I met him was at dinner at Brittany's, then at Tina and Mike's, then at Rachel and Finn's, then he...' Kurt cut away at the end.

'What was that, lady boy?'

'Then he came for dinner at our house,' Kurt whispered. He knew what was coming.

'Are you fucking kidding me, Kurt?' I screamed down the phone as I shot up from my desk. 'When was the last time I came round to yours for dinner?'

'That's not fair, Santana! Blaine and I always invite you and Quinn but the two of you are too preoccupied with your little middle of the afternoon drinking sessions to turn up!' Kurt huffed at me.

'That is not true!'

'Oh, really? It's two o'clock now, you finish at three. Where are you planning on going after?' Kurt asked me.

I didn't reply.

'Exactly, so don't give me your 'I didn't get an invite' bullshit,' Kurt yapped, 'and the pair of you better show up to Amelia's birthday on Saturday or so help me God.'

'Don't get your speedo in a twist, Kurt, we'll be there,' I retorted. 'Do we bring our own Pinot Grigio or are you supplying it?'

'Bring your own, god dammit!' Kurt snapped back. 'And save the inappropriate behaviour until after we've done the cake please. In fact, no inappropriate behaviour at all unless you want to make a fool of yourself in front of Brett.'

'Why the fuck will Brett be there?' I replied, standing up straighter. 'Why the hell is he invited?'

'Because he is Brittany's significant other and Brittany is my friend,' Kurt replied defensively.

'It's Amelia's birthday, Kurt, not yours,' I answered back.

'Yes, well Amelia likes him and Blaine and I do too,' Kurt shot back, 'maybe even more than we like you!'

'That was a low blow,' I replied angrily.

'You don't deserve my respect right now,' Kurt said indignantly, 'you tricked me into telling you things I shouldn't have.'

'Whatever, like you wouldn't have told me anyway,' I replied whilst rolling my eyes. 'Are you coming to Quinn's today or not?'

'Well of course I am now, this conversation has made me want to drink a bottle of vodka straight,' Kurt huffed at me, 'and you should supply it!'

'Bring your own!' I mocked him before going to hang up.

'Wait, Santana?' Kurt yelled into the phone.

'What is it now, fancy pants?' I sighed at him.

'Why weren't you surprised when I said it was a guy?' he asked me.

'When you said who was a guy?'

'Brett, Santana, Brett!' Kurt cried exasperatedly.

Shit. I wasn't surprised that the person Brittany was seeing was a guy because Quinn and I had spied on her from a fucking bush. I couldn't tell Kurt that. It would definitely get back to Brittany somehow. It would make us look insane. We didn't even mean to spy on Brittany. Yeah, Quinn had booked for us to stay at the same resort as her on the purpose but they only reason we'd seen her was because a drunk Quinn had fallen over a stick. Fucking alcohol, it was always causing me problems.

'Why would I be surprised?' I asked Kurt innocently. 'Brittany's bi, she's always liked guys.'

'But it doesn't shock you?' he pressed me, 'I know that if Blaine and I were to split up I would be devastated if he got with a woman.'

'Yeah, well it's pretty shitty but I don't think it's as shitty as her walking out on me after I attempted suicide,' I snapped. I hated bringing that up but it was the only way to get Kurt to stop asking me questions.

'Sorry, Santana, I shouldn't have asked,' Kurt apologised. 'I'll see you at Quinn's at three-thirty for our Real Housewives drinking game?'

'It's fine,' I sighed. I shouldn't have brought it up. Kurt had taken my depression really badly. 'I'm going to leave soon; I have a few things to finish before I leave. I'll see you soon.'

Kurt said goodbye to me before hanging up. I looked out my office window at the city. In three days I had to attend a children's birthday party where there would no doubt be me, Quinn and a group of 'blogging mommies'. To make it even worse, Brittany would be there with her boyfriend. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Quinn.

Lady Lips blabbed. I have a name and he's going on Saturday. Just about to leave work, get the wine ready. –S x

I logged off my computer and cleared off my desk before slinging my hand bag over my shoulder and heading out the office door. When I got to my car, my phone vibrated as I received a text.

Lezpez, it's Puck. Whatever you two are up to, either stop it now or let me in on it. And stop drinking my wine!