"Dude," Beca said glancing at Jesse, he fell asleep and they were on their way to the high school he taught at. "Jesse," she poked him. "Get up,"
"I'm up," he muttered.
"Do you need another coffee?"
"No," he sat up and reached for the radio.
"Hands off the radio," she slapped his hand.
"I was gonna turn it on," he laughed.
"Yeah well, ask me to do it, don't touch it yourself," she reached over and turned it on herself.
"You're weird," he said eyeing her underneath his sunglasses.
"I don't like it when people change the radio station," she shrugged.
"Yeah, I know, your car your rules… or something like that," he said recalling what she said the first she gave him a ride.
"Benji will give me a ride home later," he stretched when she took the turn that led to the high school. "You don't have to come pick me up,"
"Okay," she nodded.
"I'll see ya at home," he opened the door.
"Don't sleep in class," she watched him as he closed the door and walked away before looking down at his seat. He dropped his phone in the seat.
She rolled down the window, "Jesse," she called. When he didn't turn around, she grabbed the phone and stepped out the vehicle.
"Jesse," she said as she walked towards the entrance. She soon lost him in the crowds of students.
She ran her fingers through her hair, looking around then decided to get inside the school.
"Benji," she called when she saw Benji. Hearing his name, Benji turned around and scanned the place. She waved her hand and he spotted her then tapped someone's shoulder, she couldn't see who it was until they came into her vision: it was Jesse.
He started to make his way back to her and when she shook his phone in her hand he nodded.
"You dropped your phone in my car," she said when he reached her.
"Thanks," he took it from her. "You know, if I didn't know you, I'd mistake you for a student here," he said stuffing his phone in his pocket.
"Are you insulting me?" she asked.
"Yeah," he nodded, "telling a grown woman she looks like 10 years younger than her age is an insult," he watched her as she glanced at her hand watch before pulled her phone from her bag when it rang.
"janitor's closet is quiet," Jesse informed and when she looked up he nodded at it.
Beca titled her head, it was behind her. She made her way to it and got in and Jesse followed her in.
"Morning," she said picking up, "Yeah, I got stuck in traffic… Really? Okay. Yeah, I'm psyched—I don't usually say that" she shook her head then glanced at Jesse when he chuckled. "Thank you… Yes… 'till then. Bye." She hung up then looked up at Jesse.
"My boss was on the phone, he told me that he and the guy I'm producing his album are in Havana. I have the day off," she grinned.
"Cuba?" he stifled a yawn.
"No, Havana, Kuwait—He said something about popping some pills and waking up there." she shrugged.
"I guess you're headed home to sleep?" he asked.
"Nope, it'll fuck up my sleeping schedule" she tossed her phone in her bag then looked up. "And that's you," she pointed behind her when the bell rang.
"I don't have any classes now, I showed up early to go through some work."
"What do you do exactly?" she asked as he guided her out of janitor's closet. "Is it like glee? Are you rivals with some P.E teacher?" she asked
"It is exactly like glee." He nodded smiling at her.
"Seriously, though, what do you do?"
"Well, my forte is music, duh," he shrugged. "But my job includes all sort of arts," he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It goes from music to dance to theater... Painting too."
"C'mon," he nodded for her to walk.
"Isn't illegal for me to walk around here?" she asked.
"I'll just say I'm using your expertise in music production if anyone asks," he shrugged.
"You're way laid back," she fell into step with him.
"Morning Mr. Swanson," a student greeting as she ran past them.
"Morning," Jesse smiled at her. "Becs, this way," he gestured for her to walk into an empty music classroom.
Jesse closed the door behind them when they got in.
"Do you play?" he asked when she ran her fingers on a piano's keys. She nodded.
"Play something," he said as he walked to the teacher's desk and sat on it.
"I can't think of anything to play," she turned to him.
He reached into a drawer and pulled some music sheets.
"We can fix that," he said as went through them.
"Someone like you?"
"Too early for Adele,"
"All of me?"
"Nope,"
"Love me like you do?"
"I don't even know this one,"
"It's pretty famous," he looked up from the sheets.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty alt and don't like mainstream that much,"
"Ellie Goulding recorded it for 50 shades of Grey's soundtrack,"
"I haven't seen that movie," she shrugged, "Oh cmon don't look at me like that,"
"Most women have seen/ read 50 shades of Grey," he eyed her through narrowed eyes.
"If I wanted porn I know where to find it, I don't need to sit through a whole movie for it," she took a seat on the piano bench.
"What do you think 50 shades of Grey is about?"
"I've been avoiding it for quite a while, please don't tell me. All I know is that it's the movie adaptation of an erotic novel."
"Okay," he looked back at the music sheets.
"Is that all you have?" she asked pointing at the sheets.
"There's river flows in you,"
"I know this one," she dropped her bag on the floor.
Jesse jumped off the desk and walked to her, "Here," he handed her the sheet.
"I know how to play it, I don't need the sheet," she said without looking up at him.
"Just so you know, based on the fact that you know how to play river flows in you from memory I'm gonna presume you're a romantic person," he sat next to her on the bench.
"I learned it for my friend's wedding, which was 3 years ago, and it's been stuck in my head since then." She licked her lips before she started to play.
The first few notes she played were hesitant but soon enough she got comfortable. Jesse watched her with a grin on his face, he was grinning at how concentrated she was. He decided that her concentration face that consisted of her biting her bottom lip and frowning a little bit was adorable.
"Stop staring, it's weird," she glanced at him. He looked away at her words and got off the bench.
To keep himself busy and not stare at her, he pulled a guitar then sat back on the bench and joined her in the piece she was playing. He kept his focus on the guitar strings for less than 10 seconds then looked up at her. She was more at ease with the piece. He smiled eyeing her and his smile turned into a grin when she tilted her head to look at him and held his gaze, smiling back.
Hitting the last note, Beca broke their gaze holding shifting her attention to the piano. "Your turn," she looked up after a beat, sounding a little uneasy.
"Okay," he nodded then got up and placed the guitar where it was.
"Scoot over," he said walking back.
He took a seat then turned to Beca, "What do you wanna hear?" he asked.
"Anything," she shrugged.
"You sure about that?" he arched an eyebrow.
"Yes, dude, play anything,"
"Okay," he cleared his throat.
He played the first few notes from Stars are Blind by Paris Hilton then looked up at Beca see if she recognized it. Seeing that she didn't, he smiled before proceeding to sing.
"I don't mind spending some time
Just hanging here with you
'Cause I don't find too many girls
That treat me like you do." He sang then watched her as she cracked up, recognizing the song.
"Wow," she composed herself quickly, "Why aren't I surprised you know this?"
He shrugged, putting way more emotions in the lines he was singing before he got to the chorus, which he sang softly.
"Even though the gods are crazy
Even though the stars are blind
If you show me real love baby
I'll show you mine
I can make it nice and naughty
Be the devil and angel too
Got a heart and soul and body
Let's see what this love can do
Maybe I'm perfect for you" he sang then placed a hand on his chest, grinning when she cracked up again. He really liked her laugh and making a fool of himself by singing a song by Paris Hilton was worth it.
"You can jump in any time, Becs," he said before he continued to sing. "No thanks," she shook her head trying not to laugh.
"Suit yourself," he then continued to give the performance of his life, belting out to Paris Hilton's lyrics, and making Beca crack up.
"I could be your confidante
Just one of your boyfriends
But I know that's not what you want
If tomorrow the world ends
Why shouldn't we be with the one we really love?
Now tell me who have you been dreaming of?
I and I alone, oh, no"
"Wow," she wiped the tears that formed in her eyes, "That was amazing, Jesse," she patted her shoulder when he dramatically looked up from the piano and at her.
"Thanks,"
"I mean, what a way to follow up to river flows in you…"
"I know," he agreed, "It's perfect for serenading,"
"Yeah—wait, you were serenading me?" she asked jokingly
"Obviously, and you laughed at me so I think that's a good sign," he said in a matter of fact tone.
"Yep," she nodded. "Got anything else?" she asked.
"You mean, like, more Paris Hilton?"
"Yeah, it's working, you're sweeping me off my feet," she did a sweeping motion with her hand.
"Would Celine Dion work?"
"She's the mother of all cheesiness," she nodded, "Of course, it'll work… but don't you have work to do?"
"Actually, I do," he rubbed his forehead.
"I'm keeping from your work," she said in realization, "You told me that you got stuff to do before class," she reached for her bag.
"I'll make students do some activity today," he got up, "I don't think I can focus well enough to do anything of value."
"How do I get out and not draw attention to myself?" she asked, standing up.
"I can walk you out," He could easily get her out, but kinda wanted her to keep him company, "Or you could stick around until the bell rings and get out," he shrugged.
"You sure it wouldn't cause you any trouble if I stayed?" she asked.
"Yes," he nodded. "Wanna help me with some nerdy music set?"
His question made her laugh. He looked at her in puzzlement, expecting her to explain why she laughed but she sighed then nodded, "Sure. I'm really good at making sets,"
"Of course, you're a record producer," he kept eyeing her.
"Tell me, do kids here do a cappella?" she casually asked, placing her bag on the teacher's desk.
"That's pretty random, yeah they do." He nodded. "there's a group here, I try to help them out with their sets," he shrugged.
"I can help with that,"
"You know a cappella?" he asked in surprise.
"I do. I did a cappella in college," she informed him.
"How did that happen?" he questioned, "A cappella is nerdy as fuck, and you don't fit the bill at all. Were blackmailed into joining?"
"It's very nerdy," she agreed, "It was more of a deal than blackmail. I joined freshman year in college 'cause dad promised that if I joined one group on campus and enjoyed college life for a semester he'd help me move here."
"But you stayed in school," he said.
"I did. My awesome nerds were the reason I didn't leave. We were a bunch of misfits and we somehow worked so well and eventually all became really great friends."
"That pitch pipe," he snapped his fingers, "How could you keep this piece of information from me, nerd?" he asked in amusement.
"Because I knew I was gonna get this reaction from you," she motioned at his face, "And a cappella is pretty awesome,"
"I have nothing but love for all forms of nerdy-ness, but I would have never thought you we were in a group."
"I was captain actually, and I led my team to win 3 times on national level as the first all-female group to win, and we won the worlds. Making a cappella history as well as the first Americans to win the title," she said proudly.
"Damn, you're like a celebrity in the a cappella world, huh?"
"You can say that," she shrugged. "So, your music arrangement?" she said to change the subject.
An hour later,
"Thanks for helping me do my job,"
"You're more than welcome. If you need help with a cappella arrangements ask, I miss making a cappella sets,"
He was going to thank her again but a yawn stopped him. He ran a hand over his face then stretched.
"C'mon," he nodded at the door when the bell rang. "We're outta coffee," he recalled. It was her turn in grocery shopping. "Got anything else you want me to get?" she asked.
"No," he shrugged scratching his stubble. "I'll text you if I thought of something."
She nodded looking away and at the students pacing through the hall. Dodging one, she made eye contact with a young blond teacher who was looking at them. "Eight o'clock, is that the colleague that asked you out?" Beca asked and Jesse looked around.
"Dude don't look,"
"Yep, that's her," he said making eye contact with his colleague, he smiled at her before looking back ahead of him.
"She's cute," Beca said casually.
"Not my type," he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I know," Beca stuffed her hands in her pockets.
"You know my type?" he asked pushing the door and letting her walk pass him.
"Yeah, you like brunettes," she looked up at him. He was eyeing her.
"All of your hookups that I had the honor of meeting are brunettes, your ex-wife is a brunette— I'm a brunette. It's not rocket science." She shrugged. "Don't think too hard about," she said when he turned thoughtful.
"You never brought a guy home,"
"Yeah?"
"I'm trying to figure out your type but you never brought a guy with you. Why is that?"
"Because I usually sneak off before they wake up. And I can't do that if I'm at my place."
"Not even breakfast?"
"God, No. Breakfast means talking," she grimaced. "When I choose to leave with a guy it's never for his brain,"
"Huh," he stopped walking.
When she left with him from Crispin's wedding, she stayed for breakfast. He wondered why she did then figured it was to hear him out and let him explain to her how he didn't cheat.
"What?"
"Nothing, I'm just soaking up the information." He shrugged and continued to walk. "I mean you're like a love guru,"
"Yeah, that's why I don't have a love life," she snorted.
"By choice," he said as they stopped by her car. "You're no longer emotionally unavailable you just don't wanna date," he smiled at her.
"I'm on a journey to discover myself without a man in my life… or some equally shitty sentimental statement to explain why I'm not seeing anyone," she deadpanned reaching to open the car's door.
"So, what's your type?" he chuckled humored by her dry humor.
"Heterosexual men," she pulled the car door to her, closing it.
As she drove away, Beca glanced up and looked through the rear-view mirror. Jesse was standing where she left him, looking at her car. He walked away when she turned the right side marker light on and was about to take a right.
Parking the car, Beca turned the engine off, grabbed her bag and got out of the car and headed to her friend's house. She got a texted from Amy congratulating her, she was at Starbucks when she got it. The text read: 'I'll be making hot love to my hubby while listening to your song that is playing on all radio stations. Great song, keep 'em sexy songs coming!'
Beca liked to think that she was congratulating her and replied with 'Thanks?'
The song was out for roughly two days and it was everywhere. Beca couldn't believe it.
As they continued to text, Amy invited her for lunch over at the Allen residence. An invitation that Beca accepted. She missed Amy and her weird husband. Bumper was weird, but weren't they all?
Beca accepted the invitation because A- Bumper's cooking was foodgasmic. B- She wouldn't have to go home and ignore Jesse's mother. She felt like a dick for not wanting to talk to her but she had her reasons. She was embarrassed. She only met her twice and both times she was freshly fucked by her son.
"Beca," Amy said cheerfully, unlocking the door.
"Amy!" Beca called her name, grinning at her Aussie friend.
"You're early." Amy stepped back, letting her Beca in.
"Yeah, there wasn't much traffic," Beca stepped inside and took a look at her friend's rather luxurious house.
Bumper's arrogate ass took off in the music industry. He was a recording artist, despite not having won when he was a contestant in the voice, he got the recognition he needed and got signed for a record deal. He was quite the ass but he was a talented ass.
"What is he doing?" Beca asked when her eyes fell on Bumper who was in the living room, sitting Indian style, he had earphones in his ears, wearing nothing but boxer shorts and a silky robe.
"He meditating."
"Isn't meditating about clearing your mind?" she pointed at the earphones.
"He's listening to crickets' sounds," Amy said as she started to make her way to the kitchen. Beca followed her lead. "Bumper met some hipster sound engineer who's into Dudeism. And he has taken interest in this philosophy,"
"Okay," Beca nodded along.
"Want a beer?" Amy asked opening the fridge.
"It's 11:40 am,"
"You don't want a beer," Amy concluded, pulling a coke, "it's not a diet one," She placed the can on the table.
Beca took a seat near the table, quicker than she should have. She winced at the pain the act of sitting fast caused her.
"Are you okay?" Amy arched her eyebrows, eyeing her friend as she reached for the can.
"I'm fi—"
"Hold on." Amy stepped closer to Beca and cupped her cheek, stroking it.
"Okay," Beca nervously chuckled.
"Who did you pash so hard it irritated your skin?" Amy asked removing her hand.
"Pash?" Beca said trying to play dumb. She has known Amy for years and understood Aussie English well.
"Who did you passionately make out with enough for him to give you beard burn?" Bumper translated into American English. He walked to the fridge and pulled a bottle of water.
"Babe you have eagle vision, I wouldn't have noticed," He said patting Amy's shoulder before taking a sip from the bottle.
"He doesn't have a beard," Beca popped the can open, "Just a lot of stubble… I'd give it a week before it becomes a beard." She brought the can to her mouth.
"Beard, stubble same effect," Bumper rolled his eyes before turning on his heels as he wore the earphones.
"Who did pash?" Amy asked again.
"My roommate. And we didn't just pash." Beca said after swallowing the soft drink, making sure to imitate Amy's way of pronouncing pash.
"I take that his donger was a bit much for you," Amy spoke casually.
"When will lunch be ready?" Beca asked to change the conversation because she knew where it was headed.
"I was going to order lunch when you knocked,"
"You invited me over to have takeout for lunch?"
"Yeah." Amy nodded, "Now that you're here early, tell me, what d'ya wanna eat?"
"I'll have whatever you're ordering," Beca shrugged.
Lunch was fun but it also meant that Beca had to go to the gym the next day. She stuck around after lunch and helped clean the table before she and Amy hung out in the backyard. They watched Bumper as he practiced yoga. They laid on the huge swing while sipping some cocktails that Amy made. Some tasted good, others tasted so bad Beca felt like throwing up.
Around 4 pm she decided it was time to leave. She had to go grocery shopping and the longer she laid on the swing the sleepier she felt. Amy provided her with a strong mug of coffee to keep her up before she hit the road.
Getting off the car when she got to the grocery store down the street from where she lived, she heard her phone chime with a text. She pulled her phone to check it.
'Beca, I'm sorry,' she stared in puzzlement as she read the text she got from Crispin. As she was about to type back a reply and ask him what was talking about, her phone rang, her mother was calling.
"Hey mom, what's up?" she said as she started to make her way to the grocery store.
"What's up?" her mother sounded mad as she yelled making Beca pull the phone away from her ear for a moment,
"Why are you yelling?" Beca asked in puzzlement before hit her. "Shit," she said under her breath figuring out what Crispin was apologizing for. He told her mother about their break up.
"Why didn't you tell me that you and Crispin broke up over a year ago?" she asked still in the same raging voice.
"Could you please stop yelling," Beca requested, trying to figure out a way to explain herself.
Why didn't she tell her mother? It has been over a year and whenever she thought about calling her mother and tell her 'hey mom, guess what? Cris wanted to marry me so I broke up with him.' she decided not to. Her mother always thought that Beca's refusal to the idea of marriage was because of their broken home which wasn't the case. No matter how many times Beca assured her mother that she didn't have a problem with marriage her mother didn't believe her and the fact that she had broken up with her boyfriend that she loved because he wanted to marry her would make her look bad. So, she didn't tell her.
"Fine," her mother spoke in a normal volume but Beca could hear her anger in her tone.
Beca looked inside her bag for her earphones and plugged her phone then wore one of the earphones before she stuffed her phone in her back pocket.
"Last year, around this time, I found a tiny box in Cris's jeans," she started to tell her mother as she grabbed a cart and began to push it. "The box had a really fancy engagement ring. I freaked out."
"You freaked out?"
"Yeah," Beca pulled a couple of bags of chips remembering that Jesse had asked her to get them for him in a text he sent earlier. "He got mad at me for not wanting to marry him, accusing me of not loving him and other fun stuff—he knew how I felt about getting married before I, at least, turned thirty yet went and bought a ring."
"Here we go again with your bullshit philosophy,"
"No, it's not a bullshit philosophy," Beca disagreed shaking her head. "I honestly think that I'm not up for marriage until I can honestly say that yes I am willing to wake up to the same face for the rest of my life," she stopped to get toilet paper,
"And you think that once you turn thirty you will?"
"Nope, but I'd like to think that by that time I would have matured," she dropped a pack of beer in the cart. "-matured enough to consider a commitment like marriage."
"Okay, that's nice. You don't want to get married unless you're sure that you're up for it. But you still haven't answered my question, why didn't you tell me about your break up? Why did I have to hear from your ex-boyfriend?" her mother's voice softened a little as she spoke.
"Because you will go ape shit crazy on me and make me feel like I'm emotionally fucked up and tell me how you think that your failed marriage affected me then feel guilty for not having taken better care of me and blame yourself for it which will make me feel guilty for breaking up with him in the first place," Beca explained. She could hear her mother breathing which assured her that she was still there when she went quiet. "How did you hear from Cris?" she asked.
"I called him by mistake then as we talked I asked him about what was new with him and he told me about his marriage."
"He found his soulmate five months after we broke up," Beca sarcastic tone made her mother chuckle.
"How was that for you?" her mother asked, concern showing her voice.
"Well, I attended his wedding," Beca sighed as she tiptoed to grab a cereal box. "Which is definitely in the top ten of decisions I regret making"
"You shouldn't have gone, honey,"
"I know, but I went. I met my new roommate there, Jesse" Beca said deciding it was time she told her mother about Jesse.
"What's does she do?" her mother asked thinking it was a girl.
"It's a he, and he's an art teacher with a degree from film school in music composing," she informed.
"You're living with a man?"
"Yeah, he's a great roommate and friend. I couldn't tell you about him earlier since I haven't told you about Cris."
"I'd like to see him,"
"I'll text you his picture. Also, he's not my only roommate," Beca dropped some Oreos in the cart, "his 9 months and half old daughter lives with us."
"What?!" her mother exclaimed.
"Yeah. He's a divorcé, and his daughter is living with us until her mom is back from Europe,"
"How old is he?"
"28," Beca replied as she stood, eyeing different brands of yogurt before she reached for Greek yogurt.
"And he's just a friend?"
"Yes, mom," Beca said deciding not to tell her mother about their mutual sexual attraction.
"That's good. It's never a good idea to date a roommate,"
"Why is that?" Beca continued to push the cart.
"Because once it's over between the roommates they'll still have to live together until the lease is over." Her mother stated in a matter of fact tone.
"Well, you don't have to worry about me. Jesse doesn't want to get involved with anyone. He's taking a break from relationships."
"For how long has he been divorced?"
"Like a year and a half. He was married to his high school sweetheart,"
"Well, honey be careful," her mother insisted.
"Always am," Beca smiled to herself, thinking the conversation was over. She was glad about the way things turned out and regretted not telling her mother earlier.
"So, are you seeing anyone new?" her mother asked and Beca sighed, realizing the conversation was far from over.
"No, I'm not," she replied, preparing herself for a lecture long enough to last her the short drive home on the importance of being in a relationship.