May 28, 2022 (Saturday)
"Woo hoo! VIVA LAS VEGAS!" howled Brittany.
Mercedes, Santana, Rachel, Quinn, Tina and Kurt cheered back in unison, "Viva Las Vegas!"
All seven glasses clinked against one another as they raised a toast. They were in Vegas for their second night, and since most of them would be spending the next day on a plane, they chose tonight to drink it up at Margaritaville, celebrate Mercedes' engagement, and catch up with one another.
"So Q," started Santana as the last of the margaritas were set on their round table. "With the economy being in an upswing these days, the real estate biz must be good, hm?"
Quinn smiled and nodded as she lowered her water glass from her lips. "Yeah things are great. But I really owe your mom, Mercedes, for me being where I am."
"My mom?" questioned Mercedes.
"Yeah, I mean with her background in real estate, and putting in a good word from me after I finished at Yale, she gave me the career boost some people only dream about. I couldn't be happier right now. Things are coming together for Finn and I…" she stared thoughtfully at the princess cut diamond on her left finger, smiled and added, "and I didn't think I'd love Chicago as much as I do."
Tina and Mercedes side-eyed Rachel to gauge her reaction at the mention of Finn and Quinn's happiness, but the Broadway star tactfully looked about the restaurant as if she hadn't been listening.
Quinn noticed and swiftly shifted the attention, "What about you, Santana? Every time I come back to Lima to visit my mom, you're all over the local news."
The Latina woman smirked proudly, "That's because I'm still fighting the good fight. People want me to run for office, but I wanna stir up some more trouble as an "average Joe" before I throw my hat into any kind of elections."
Kurt eyed her, with pleasant shock. "Senator Lopez?"
"Governor Lopez," corrected Santana. "I'm not trying to be in DC—they'd have me removed for telling them every damn time how pointless their meetings are. But if I stayed in Ohio, I'd be the first openly femme, fierce, phenom and gay Governor, and I could push my equal rights agenda."
With tiny claps, Kurt grinned and told her, "Well if you want tips or anything when you do run for office, I'd be glad to put you in touch with my dad."
Santana grinned, "I'll keep that in mind, Lady Anderson."
Rachel finally joined the conversation, after sucking down half of her margarita. "What about you, Brittany? What are you doing these days?"
"I teach," Brittany answered in a matter-of-factly tone.
Sounding fascinated, Rachel asked, "Really? What do you teach?"
"Oh, you know…art, counting, good manners, reading, writing. But they mostly just learn how to write their names and the colors of the rainbow."
Rachel's brows pulled together. "What?"
Brittany passively shrugged, "It's what I teach. And they love me. Everyone loves me."
While the airy blonde resumed her drink, Rachel's confusion deepened. She looked expectedly to Santana for answers.
Santana rolled her eyes at her least-liked member of the group. "She teaches kindergarten, Genius. Yeah, Britts and I are both molding the minds of Ohio, little by little. Personally I think she took the smarter route though—ya'know, getting 'em while they're hatchlings"
"Oh, ohh!" said Rachel who was quickly turning red. "Sorry. I-I didn't know."
"Well ya would know if you came up for air from the asshole of Broadway every once in a while."
Rachel lowered her restless gaze; Mercedes noticed the shameful look on her friend's face and thought quickly for something to avert the attention. Rachel was always driven—that had never changed. Somewhere during her marriage to Finn, it seemed like he might have half-expected for her slow down after she won her first Tony and when she didn't, their marriage started to crumble. After their divorce and Finn's reunion with Quinn, Rachel's attention to the theatre only went under a narrower scope. Santana somehow seemed to add salt to the wound with her ever-abrasive remarks, so Mercedes did her best to distract.
"Alright, alright no buzz-kills tonight. Let's have another toast before we order more drinks," Mercedes loudly decided. As planned, her group of friends looked to her and she raised her nearly finished margarita. "To my fabulous friends here—even Stacey, who's here with us in spirit! I love you guys!"
"Here, here!" the others cheered with another collision of glasses.
"I still don't understand why Stacey and Sam's parents wouldn't let her come," said Brittany before sipping down on her straw.
Quinn arched a brow, "Probably because she's only 17."
"Yeah, there really wouldn't have been anything fun for her to do here yet," added Mercedes, "but I promised I'd take her for her 21st."
"By the way Mercedes," chimed in Kurt while adjusting his pinstripe fedora, "You look fantastic tonight."
The bride-to-be—along with her friends—looked dressed to dance. She donned a fitted leopard print tube top with a thin black belt, black designer jeans and glitter gold peep toe pumps. Before they'd stepped out of the hotel that night, Brittany gave her pink sash which she hand wrote, "Future Mrs. Evans"on with a glitter pen. To top it off, the blonde crowned her friend's long, large curls with a sparkling tiara.
That evening, Brittany wore a sea green party dress with a messy up `do.
Kurt had a surprisingly toned down pinstripe pants-and-vest combination, with a plain white shirt and professionally side-swept hair.
Quinn had a flowy, knee-high, tropical print dress and short, crimped blonde locks.
Rachel had on a primary color-printed mod dress and loose curls, similar to Mercedes' weave.
Santana chose a glittery black cocktail dress, ruched from its sweetheart neckline down to its thigh-high hem. She complimented the sultry dress with a sharp, rockabilly hairstyle.
And along with her edgy, vertical hairdo, Tina decided on a black, high-collar baby doll dress with silver tights.
"Thanks," said a euphoric Mercedes, "but we all look hot tonight." As she took another sip of her drink, she noticed Tina looking devious and deeply engrossed in her phone. With a curious smirk, the singer asked, "Tina who are you texting? You look like you're back in high school."
"Must be her hubby," Brittany presumed.
"And Quinn, how come you're not drinking tonight?" asked Rachel. "We're all supposed to be celebrating."
Tina looked up from her phone when the table went silent, and joined the others at the table who were now wondering the same thing.
Quinn's lips pursed; she stared at Rachel for a moment, and then turned a longer, more apprehensive gaze on Mercedes. In her usually soft-spoke, raspy tone the blonde loudly whispered, "Because I'm pregnant."
Everyone's amused wonder quickly faded. Tina and Kurt soon turned anxious gazes on Mercedes while Santana and Brittany waited for an outburst of tears from Rachel. It seemed like everyone was waiting for someone to say something, but several seconds passed before that happened.
Finally, Mercedes leaned in her chair to her left and hugged Quinn. "Congratulations, Quinn. I'm really happy for you."
"Yeah let's just hope it's Finn's this time," Kurt flippantly mumbled. The instant the words left his mouth, he gasped and stared at Quinn like a deer in headlights. "Quinn I'm so sorry—that was out of line."
"Yeah, it was," she replied calmly. "And I should be mad…but I'm not. That was a long time ago; things are different now. And yes, it's Finn's which means you're going to be an uncle in about seven months."
Kurt smiled apologetically to the blonde, "Congratulations, Quinn. And I really am sorry."
"I forgive you."
Tina shook her head at the male and then brought her attention back to her phone.
"Tina! Girl you're killin' me with that phone. What are you doing?" Mercedes demanded with a disbelieving smile.
The Asian girl wore a smile of her own-a bit more devious than the diva's however. "Brittany was right—I'm texting Mike."
Mercedes sighed, "That's against the rules!"
Kurt shook his head while wiggling his phone in his head, "Yeah, even I haven't caved yet. Blaine and I have only sent goodnight texts to each other but unless it involves Lizzie, we haven't spoken since we got here."
"Hey," Santana spoke up again, "that reminds me—where are your little rice balls at, Chang?"
"That's racist," noted Quinn.
Tina ignored the remark and said, "With their Grandma Julia. Mike's mom flew out to babysit and housesit while we're here. But listen, I found out where the guys are staying and I know where they are now."
"Where?" Kurt quickly asked. Mercedes stared at him and he shrugged, "What?"
The fashion designer looked at the bride-to-be, "Do you wanna know?"
Even though she answered a firm, "No!" Mercedes couldn't fight the smile that twitched at the corners of her lips.
"You're lying," Brittany outright stated.
"Yeah come on 'Cedes," added Santana. "We'll just drop in on them real quick and then we'll go back to the Luxor to hit up LAX. That club was looking wanky before we'd even left the hotel."
Mercedes bit her lip while she looked around the table; everyone seemed to reflect a desire of spying on the boys. She let her lip go to smile, "Alright, alright. Where are they, Tina?"
Grinning again, Tina glanced back down at her phone, "They're at Pure Nightclub in Caesar's Palace, where they're staying."
Mercedes brows came together, "Seriously? I thought they'd be more adventurous than that and they didn't even leave their hotel?"
"Who says they didn't?" challenged Tina. "I bet they've gone to other places, but Mike's definitely a little tipsy right now, or else he wouldn't have told me."
"Okay enough chatting," interjected Quinn. "Let's pay for our drinks and go. I still want to do a little bit of dancing before I get too tired."
There was a consensus around the table, with the exception of Rachel, who hadn't spoken since Quinn's announcement.
Please leave reviews! More's coming very soon! We'll be seeing what the boys are up to in Sin City...