Bad Wolves

(Santana)

I woke up with a heavy head and a slight now familiar burning in my stomach. I had an appointment and knew more or less what to expect: lead shot in the arm, do endoscopy, lose memory about 15 minutes due to the medication and being groggy all day. At least that's what my father said.

There were few times I slept all night because of the work of Columbia and Rock'n'Pano. Thank God the semester was almost over. It would be a relief to be committed with my company in the summer. I got up, brushed my teeth and went dragging my slippers to the kitchen. Rachel and Quinn were standing fixing the breakfast.

"Good morning, Santy." Rachel grinned like she uses to do after a good fuck with Quinn. Disgusting. "I have prepared your breakfast." She pointed to the cup with some kind of green juice and the pot of gelatin with fruit. I enjoyed it, but not as my breakfast, when I need my coffee. And that green thing...

"What the hell is this?" I smelled the green juice.

"Cabbage juice with a little milk just to break a bit the bitter taste."

"Forget it... where's my coffee?"

"No coffee, Santana! If you are even with gastritis, caffeine will hurt further your stomach. Cabbage helps heal. And then this is abuela's recipe."

"No voy a tomar esa bazofia!"

"Si usted no bebe, me quedo de pie todo el dia y no voy a dejar trabajar." Rachel threatened for real. I hated her.

"Fine!" I drank the juice trying to ignore their giggles.

"If you two excuse me, I think I'll get my way." Quinn said as she finished her coffee. She gave my sister a kiss, grabbed her beg and left.

"Will you shoot today?" I asked my sister. Damn that green juice wasn't bad.

"Yes. Background scenes, mostly."

"Cool."

"You don't think it's cool." She sneered.

"Yeah… I don't think. What about your coming sex scene?"

"Don't remind me!" Rachel is so nervous about it that is fun. "I'm going to shoot it tomorrow, but don't tell Quinn or she will freak out."

"That's why you are so extra gentle to her?"

"Kind of!"

"Well, here's a piece of advice, if your co-star have an erection, it's because he thinks you're hot. So, be proud!"

"You're disgusting, Santana."

I was dying to drink the coffee, but my sister's sixth sense worked again and she poured the precious black liquid in the sink. I almost cried.

"Don't cheat when you arrive in Columbia." She gave me a kiss on the cheek and handed me my backpack.

"That, expelled me from my own home!"

"Have a nice day, Santy." She smiled as a telemarketing TV girl.

I had the opportunity to check my messages on my cell phone in the subway. I was so close to open the sales. Just needed to get the some promotion and find a place to send the goods that were crammed in my room along with the packaging. I would have to hire someone just to ship the products by mail because I wouldn't regard myself, especially if the amount of orders is large.

At Columbia, I met Andrew at our usual place. He was a little upset for refused the job offer in a good company to not compromise his course. Pressure from parents who suffered argued that my boyfriend shouldn't lose focus on having his graduation once he gave his sweat and blood to get into Columbia and have a scholarship. In a way, I agree with his parents: he is very smart and other opportunities would come.

"Could know the reason of this smile is on your face?" Andrew said after we kissed.

"I'm just optimistic. Things will be alright... I feel it!" Another kiss.

"Sua felicidade é minha felicidade." He said in Portuguese, the mother language of his father. Actually, Andrew born in Brazil, but her mother is American and he came to U.S when he was two. Unlike me, he visits his father family almost every year. I've been in Chile, where my papi born, twice in my life and I didn't know that well the Lopez side of family that stayed there.

"Would you mean 'mi casa es su casa?'"

"Quase isso, espoleta."

"Nerd."

I read a few more messages on my cell. There was one from Mercedes wondering when sales will be open. Well, in a week. There was another from Shelby asking me if Rachel and I already choose our dress for the wedding. No. Then I saw the text from Mr. White asking me about the envelope, because I should. That fucking envelope burning inside one of my books stored in my room.

"Problems?" Andrew frowned.

"Maybe. I think I'm going straight home after class."

"But we had arranged..."

"Sorry, nerd! I promise that I will compensate you another day." I kissed him quickly one last time before running to class the day.

Truth that I hadn't much to do at the end of another semester. But that was by far my worst one because of all accumulated problems. After class, I took the subway and went straight home. As might be expected, no one was there. Better that way. I could catch anything in the kitchen and chew without hearing Quinn or Rachel that I was spreading the crumbs.

In my room there were five cardboard boxes stacked with Rock'n'Pano goods. I needed to resolve this problem. I needed to have an official solely to receive purchase orders and despatch by post. Either that or hired a company. But the second option was more expensive and I didn't know how much more funds Zaide was willing to release. Anyway, I think that would be the best solution.

But everything was so beautiful! The kitchen towels were spectacular, as well as the T-shirts and table linens. But the envelope that burned within my book haunted me. I decided to put an end to this agony. If I burn or grinded it, I was sure that Mr Weiz send me a copy. After almost two weeks, I finally opened the envelope, which was unsealed and I came across a copy of a $50k promissory note signed by bubbee. This money was borrowed by Caleb Weiz, apparently using his personal account. The date also intrigued me: June 1994, months before Rachel and I were born.

I started making calculations to know how much that debt would be today. Oh, god!

This debt has prescribed? Was it false? I didn't know, but I had someone who could answer me.

"Hello?"

"Hello, bubbee. It's Santana."

"Hi Santana. Do you want me to call your grandfather?"

"No bubbee, I really wanted to talk to you this time."

"Did something happen? Is Rachel okay?"

"Rachel is great. She will shoot an explicit sex scene for HBO."

"Oh, that's... what do you want to talk?"

"Bubbee I got in my hands a copy of a promissory note signed by you. This is a loan in the amount of $50,000 that Caleb Weiz gave to you nearly 21 years ago. I not sure what that means, but come on who comes, it's a warning. I need to know what I'm dealing with."

"..." I just heard her sigh on the phone.

"Bubbee, please! This is important to my security and Rachel's."

"Caleb wouldn't hurt you two!"

"Maybe not, but it's evident that he strives for his will be done. I need to know! What is this promissory note and why he would ask me to investigate the story behind it? Why do you ask all this money? It's too much, bubbee."

"It was because of you... and Rachel..."

"How? Sorry, but we weren't even born yet! I mean, by the date, Shelby was pregnant..."

"Hiram and Juan had already spent all their savings with in vitro fertility treatment and were in trouble because they still had to pay a portion of money for Shelby. Hiram always was a lousy administrator and Juan didn't have much time because of his residence in hospital. The values were agreed for an only child, but two eggs survived. When the doctor knew that Shelby was waiting twins, Shelby demanded a new value to assign the two children, or she would take one. She even threatened to take the child to adoption. Hiram and Juan had no way to get more money from the bank and Juan's family had already done its part to help. And then, as you know, Hiram and your grandfather weren't spoken. So I asked this money to Caleb without your grandfather knew and gave it to Hiram. It was enough to pay for everything, so you wouldn't be separated, and still allow them to have a amount recover their finances."

Oh fuck my life!

I took a deep breath and did my best to not swear my mother until her fifth generation, even though I was included in the line of succession. I tried to calm myself. I knew the reason, then, I needed to find out more.

"Santana?"

"I'm fine, bubbee. I'm angry of my mother, but fine."

"Don't be. Shelby was just a young girl at that time. When Hiram told me that they had found a girl to done her eggs and do the surrogacy, I said they were crazy. She was too young: a 19 years old child, too green, too ambitious, and too dreamy." Shelby was 20 when we born. "Doctors recommend that a young girl donated eggs and an older woman, who had been already a mother, was the surrogate. But Juan insisted that Shelby should do all of it, since she was desperate to get the money and go to New York to try her Broadway dream. He liked her at the first sigh, I think."

"Make sense, bubbee. They're marrying in three weeks!"

Sometimes I wished that papi could be just plain gay like daddy, Quinn and Kurt. Things would be simpler. Even as a gay man, his other head spoke up by a woman. God forgive me, but sometimes I wonder if papi cheated on daddy at that time. Sometimes I think he and Shelby had an affair but when I hinted that a few years ago, papi wanted to hit me in the middle of a restaurant. They swear that nothing happened between them at that time. Maybe not sex, but I think they kissed or something smaller happened. I remember that daddy felt anger and threatened by Shelby when she broke the rules to contact me and Rachel when we were 16. Why was my family so complicated?

"Bubbee..." I refocused on the issue that mattered: the promissory note. "Did daddy know this loan?"

"No he didn't. I lied saying that the money came from my savings."

"Good... Was the debt settled?"

"No it wasn't. Caleb told me not to worry about. That was a way for him to help Hiram. He made me signed the promissory note only to record. Do you think Caleb can come collect?"

"Hardly. Promissory notes are prescribed after some years. This document doesn't worry me. I want to know, bubbee, if there is another outstanding debt with Mr Weiz? Because if it has, Weiz might decide to make justice, and I'm afraid of what might happen."

"..." Another sigh.

"Bubbee, if Zaide has outstanding debt with Weiz, he may lose the factories."

"Jacob was the one who helped your grandfather to start the factories. From what he told me, that debt was settled. But I can't tell you for sure, Santana. Your grandfather sometimes makes some funds in the bank to update the factories and stuff. But you know how responsible your Joel is about finances."

"I know that, bubbee. Which is great, especially now."

"I'll talk to Caleb about it, if you want."

"Bubbee..."

"Yes, Santana?"

"Let it go... I'll call you back later... Thanks."

Needed to talk to someone, a wise counsel. A person who could analyze everything from outside and give me a well structured review. But who? Mike and Johnny? They didn't speak the language. Bubbee is involved and Zaide can't even dream of it. Papi didn't know the big board, because if he knew, he would already have come to New York to put a bullet between Weiz's eyes. For this very same reason I couldn't talk with Shelby or uncle Pedro. That's when I remembered professor Harris. He became my mentor in Columbia, not to mention that it would be my most likely final thesis advisor. Professor Harris and I had our disagreements, and I found him very boring and methodical, but we learned to tolerate each other. I grabbed the phone and prayed that he could meet me.

"Hello?"

"Prof Harris?"

"Yes?"

"Professor, this is Santana Berry-Lopez. I have a problem and was wondering if I could talk with you about."

"Academic problems? Couldn't it wait for tomorrow at my office?"

"No sir, it's a personal problem. Please, don't misunderstand. I don't want to talk about these issues I would discuss with my friends. It's something more... business."

"You're lucky that I have time right now. In this case, you can come to my house at five o'clock."

"Thank you professor. I'll be there."

I ran my hand on my face. I was tense and needed to fix something to distract myself. Anything. It past noon and I didn't had a proper meal. Rachel would complain if she knew I wasn't feeding right. I started working on the little things on Rock'n'Pano, ate a banana, took an orange juice. I wasn't hungry anyway and my stomach hurt. It's been hard days.

Professor Nicholas Harris lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn, in a building facing the park. Great place! I was at his house in one occasion when he called some students for a fellowship end of semester party. The traffic wasn't all bad and my trip took less than I anticipated. Professor Harris received me well, even though I was half hour earlier, and his wife offered me some water. She was also a professor in English literature, but she taught on NYU, and I think she was primarily responsible for the impressive library in the room. Soon, she left me and professor Harris free to talk. In that moment, I took a deep breath and told him everything that I thought was relevant.

"It's a hell of a story, Santana."

"I don't understand, Professor! Why is Weiz making all this pressure?"

"Do you know why the Mafia is a family business?" I shook my head. "Because disputes are minimized with the institution of an heir, bloody related or not. Mafia has a very strong hierarchical sense: it's a dictatorial system with a peculiar red tape that needs to have many strategies to eliminate the competitor. The business world is almost the same thing. Caleb Weiz is an executive known not only in New York but throughout the country. Everybody knows his reputation as determined, hard, aggressive negotiator. But it's no secret that his health is fragile. He had cancer once and may have some speculation circulating that his disease may have risen again and this will reflect on the company. I don't know. This leads to another speculation involving 3 billion dollars. I can imagine the pressure he must be suffering from shareholders, other executives and also the government. Everybody wants to put its hand in a heritage without an owner like that, Santana."

"If he introduces me as his successor..."

"Santana, I'm not psychic. I don't foresee the future. My analyzes are based on studies in moving market. Sometimes this knowledge can also be applied to life. Sometimes doesn't. I say it's a risk. Who can bet on you? Right now, only Weiz is doing it. But this may change if you establish a solid career within the company. It's up to you, if you want to face the challenge. I won't lie, it's a great and complicated one. Moreover, not everyone has power to really make difference. I'm not saying that you should submit to Weiz's will, but once you are in charge, you will have on hand the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many people. It's also a great responsibility, but it can be very rewarding in the end. Have you thought about it?"

"No, I haven't."

"Well, I'm not going to say what you should or should not do, I'm just your professor, and as such I take to give you another lesson: analyze all possibilities and walk to one that better judge within the objectives you have. One of the few things I know about you, Santana, is that you is that you look for victories and affirmation. And I think everyone, at least once must have contact with the power to be tested. It's dangerous for sure, that's why the ones who pass in this test are the strongest and they can achieve victories and bring benefits to the collective. The weak ones fail and are corrupted by it, providing disaster. This isn't easy, Santana, and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. But someone is not only offering power to you, but also give you some time to prepare yourself. It looks fair to me."

"Got it!"

Professor Harris was my light at the end of the tunnel. I assimilated his words and then thanked him for everything. I left his place feeling like Peter Parker: "With great power comes great responsibility."

…

(Rachel)

I was almost panicking. I breathed deeply and tried to pull my arms for the first nude sex scene that would make in my life. One that wasn't like those in Game of Thrones or Girls, with explicit exposure of genitalia, but, yeah, nudity is part of the game. My breasts would be shown, as so Luis' ass. Worse, I'd be naked in bed with Luis Segal and had to pretend to be absolutely comfortable. How would I do this? I walked from one side to another in the trailer installed in the Bad Things studios in New Rochelle.

The assistant called me. It was time to shoot.

There were some things I didn't want the director knew. In fact, no one knew in that studio that: I had never seen a grown man naked in front of me. The second thing was a consequence of the first: logically, a real penis never touched me before. The scene would not be like the ones I did in the theater, where I made out with Lucas Hibbs, but never took a piece of clothing off. And it would be something completely different from those few times I made out with boys in my room when my parents weren't home.

And if Luis have an erection?

"Nervous?" Luis approached. He seemed very calm and relaxed.

"A little." I lied. I was shaking and he realized it.

"Hey Rach. Just relax, ok? It's like do that exercise in the alternative theater classes." Maybe, but I skip this kind of program. "And there are so many people here, and that light in our faces, that after two seconds none of it will have any significance."

The director called us and left some instructions for each cut. We rehearsal with clothes on, but that was just to mark the movements and cuts. It was to be a fun sex scene between two young people enjoying each other, laughing, falling from the couch with pants in the middle of the knees. And if I imagined that Luis was Quinn? I didn't know if it could work. We did the first take as we entered the cerographic flat, kissing and taking off our shirts before we fell down on the couch. My laughter was one falsehood. Everybody could see I was tense. The second take was done and it still wasn't right.

"Cut!" Gary, our director, shouted. He approached me and talked in private. "Rachel, what's going on?"

"Gary... I just... this is the first sex scene I do in my life." I said softly just to listen.

"Oh!" He pulled me aside to talk privately with me. "Don't tell me you're a virgin or something?"

"No!" I smiled nervously. "Far from it, but all this people in the studio is making me a little nervous. And I have never been naked before on-scream neither on-stage." Gary nodded and looked at the people in the studio.

"All right everybody… 15 minutes!"

Gary screamed and turned his attention to me. "Do you think that if you drink a little bit will help to loosen up?" My eyes widened at the suggestion. Drinking after work, yes, but at work: never.

"Gary... I don't think I should appeal to that."

"Okay. Rachel, if I tell you something promises you won't think I'm the devil?"

"I'll try..."

"Sometimes… I'm not saying that I do it every time, but sometimes when I have to direct a sex scene, I ask the actor jerking off in the trailer before shooting it."

"Oh... why?"

"Because the guy will be more relaxed and won't finish the scene with hard cock about to embarrass everyone. Half mast maybe... Unless the actress doesn't mind."

"Luis..."

"Oh, of course he did it, and you should too."

"What?"

"Go to your trailer and relax for ten minutes. You're an actress, Rachel, and you have to show horny or the scene won't work."

"Gary, I don't think I can do it… in my trailer. It must have another way…"

"Look, I will restrict the crew in the studio during this scene. But you must help me, Rachel. Breathe, relax and get ready to try again, ok? You have done great kissing scenes with Luis and you are friends. Use this to your advantage."

The conversation sparked another disconcerting effect on me: failure. I was an actress. I didn't need to masturbate in my trailer or drink. But that meant I needed to free myself of my fears to live the truth of my character. What right had I, Rachel Berry-Lopez, to put my life into the Kate Martin's? No, I was a professional and my personal life had to stay away from the studio. That was the mantra I spent repeating.

I took a glass of water and looked at Luis who was looking on his phone completely oblivious and peaceful. He even tried to help me in that scene, but Luis wasn't the kind of guy who was provoked with the problems of others.

"Rach?" Rom approached. It seemed that the entire studio knew I was panicking.

"What?"

"Luis has a pony boxer."

"What?" I said longer amused.

"Really! It's in his trailer. After you shoot the scene, we can do this prank with him!"

"Rom!"

"Relax, ok?" He kissed me on my check. "He is just a guy. And this is our job: give life to our characters, right?"

"Hey Rachel." Jane Bright approached us and took me for a quickly private conversation. "Here is a thing: Luis is a guy. Everything is easier to him just because he is a guy. He can be a diva and nobody will say a word. If it was him the nervous one to shoot a sex scene, everybody would have an excuse because he is nice. But with us, women, people would say we are prude, divas, non-professional, and difficult to work with. Gary is a great director. I've been worked with him a few times, but he is a huge asshole dude. He would take Luis side anytime if something goes wrong. We have to show these guys, Rachel. Show them that you are a great actress. So, get your ass out of here, go to that set and kick everybody asses. Leave Luis with his cock hard if you need to. But don't show weaknesses or they will swallow you."

The pony underwear may have made me laugh, but it was Jane's speech that touched me the truth. She was an experienced and award-winning actress. Surely she went through all this and more. She knew stuffs. It wasn't a question of us versus them. But of affirmation and posture.

After the interval, the crew came back to shoot the scene. Gary fulfilled what he promised and left on set only necessary crew to shoot. I didn't do right at first, but I was more relaxed. And Luis was right about one thing: after the fifth take (in my case), it was no longer a big deal. The initial problem in my mind wasn't the fake intercourse itself. It was the undressing. The scene ended when I already naked and lying in bed watches Luis taking of his pants, then he kissed me already lying and covering us with the sheet. Done! And Luis finished shooting with an embarrassing hard on.

When Gary ordered another 15 minute interval to the next scene, Luis wore his pants and went straight to the trailer without speaking to anyone. And I put on my robe and looked for Jane in the studio. I needed to give her a hug.

The next scene was the two of us in bed after the sex. I was way calmer since I could wear my pants. To my surprise, at the end of the day, Rom handed me a pony boxer and made a joke with everyone still present in the studio. I was also amazed at Rom. He should be back at the hotel or anywhere else that was not necessarily in New Rochelle, but waited in the end the day.

"So? Let's take that booze together today?"

It might be a good idea. The gang took the van that production has provided for our return to Manhattan. The driver was instructed to leave us at home but instead stopped in front of a pub. I, Luis, Amanda and Rom. There, between laughter and silly conversations, I confessed to my closest co-stars for the first time that I was in a homosexual relationship. They accepted me without reservations and I felt great. I promised that our next meeting would be the next day after work, in which I offer a dinner for my friends and introduce my girlfriend.

…

(Quinn)

I didn't saw Rachel get up. When I woke up, she had already gone to work. She let Santana's cabbage juice on the table, a message for me in the fridge with a shopping list, and that she loved me. I had a free day and I allowed myself to be lazy.

"Good morning, Q." Santana muttered as she saw the glass of cabbage juice for gastritis. "Damn, she doesn't give up!"

I had to laugh at this. I admit that this almost obsessive mania for taking care of us was lovely. The day I had to make three fillings, Rachel made me change my toothbrush, bought the folder indicated by the dentist, even if it would cost twice the price that we used, and kept controlling the listerine for a month. When the liquid parked, she fought me. And I hated Listerine!

"Drink it fast, Lopez 1. If it doesn't heal you at least it won't hurt." I experienced a bit of juice once. It wasn't bad.

Santana turned to glass and drank the juice at once.

"What will you do today?" Santana leaned against the kitchen counter while eating half papaya band with me. The fruit was just a small luxury that we have enjoyed.

"Shopping. You do know that the laundry is yours this week, right?" The clothes overflowed in the basket. Santana always left everything to the last minute when it was her week to clean of the house.

"I will do it today when I get home after Columbia."

"You could call Andrew to clean the windows if you want." He did it once.

"He loves me but I don't think he would do it again." Then she giggled that left me puzzled. "The face he made that day was priceless. Like that one you made when Rachel's co-star came to diner two days ago."

"They were making fun of a sex scene! How sick was that?"

I ran my hand in my hair. Rachel's costars were douche bags.

"I thought you would shove Luis' head in the toilet." Santana smiled.

"They said he got a hard on!" I was almost exploding in anger.

"Because Rachel is hot, jealous dork! It was a compliment."

"No way… Ok, Rachel is hot, but her costars are assholes. All of them. That Amanda... come on, She was giving grates to every celebrity she slept with!"

"I used to do it in school. Remember? You did a fake list once potting you in the first place, me in second and Rachel was the last one. Proving that you think I'm hot!"

"Well, you are, Santana! And that time I believed that you had slept with half male population of McKinley High. Cost time for me to believe that none of that was true."

"The boys didn't deny the rumors because it was good to them say they scored a top dog cheerleader. Anyway, the fame brought some benefices. I was way more popular than you."

"You wish!" We smiled remembering. "Why did you allow this in the first place?"

"To not let Britt lead to fame alone. She was the one who had kissed and slept with half the school, boys and girls. You know Britt: she always liked a good fuck! Especially during our sophomore year. I started to tell everyone that I had slept with half the school and that Britt did so only because of my bad influence. Then I turned the bitch, Satan... when in fact all the guys I slept with from McKinley High were that idiot who took my v-card, Puck and Finn."

"I thought you slept with Matt too."

"No, but spelt with Mike once."

"What!" I jumped from my chair.

"She took his v-card."

"Are you serious? Why did you never told me?"

"I don't know."

"And are you ok with this?"

"It happened on our sophomore year! Brittany slept with almost everybody at that time! And Mike was elegant enough to never ever comment it, so that you know it just now."

"Britt lost her virginity to you, right? I remember when you two changed your behavior with each other. Kisses in the empty hall after the afternoon training and everything… Incidentally, sorry for had threatening you that day."

"That's what I call late excuses." Santana smiled. "I have Britt's v-card and Finn's. I'm not proud of having Finn's, though. Rachel was devastated when she knew and we spent a week without speak with each other until papi locked us in the smallest bathroom of the house. We spent hours locked there, but that was one of the best conversations I've ever had with my sister". Then she frowned. "On the other hand, I did a hell of a favor to her and to you sleeping with Finn." True. If Rachel had lost her virginity to Finn, things could have been much more complicated to me.

"I have Rachel's v-card."

"Was she your first girl?"

"No, she wasn't."

"What?" Santana got clearly interested. "Fabray! I've never figured that you were fooling around before my sister."

"Remember that I was babysitting and tutoring?"

"Yeah..."

"The first woman who I had sex with and taught me a few things was the mother of one of the boys I was babysitting."

"Fabray!" Santana laughed. "I've never imagined. That's when you found out you were gay?"

"No. That was when I had sex with Sam for the first time."

"Oh, poor bastard!" She laughed again.

"There wasn't connection. Puck was a drunken mistake. But with Sam... I couldn't feel horny and I knew I liked your sister. I just hadn't been able to admit it to myself."

"Complex."

"And you? I mean, you're bisexual but only date men as if Brittany was your only exception. How is that?"

"I fucked Izabella too. Three times."

"I forgot her..."

"I like to have sex with men. I really do! But loving them, well… I just loved one person."

"Brittany." It didn't have to be a question.

"Yeah ... I'll tell you one thing, Fabray, but it is just between us." I shook in agreement. "I'm afraid to have a girlfriend and fall in love."

"Why?"

"Because of Brittany. It would be as if I was betraying her somehow. Men are safer bet because I've never feel in love with one of them. Well, I'm attracted with one, and I won't say who… but I just can't move on yet."

"San... that's... that's not good. Brittany has a son and she is living with the guy who got her pregnant. You two haven't seen each other for a year! Isn't time to you trying a relationship with someone you can afford to get emotionally involved? Man or woman? And I'm not talking about Andrew because everyone knows that he is more your friend with benefits than a boyfriend."

"You do know my parents invited Brittany to the wedding, right?" I nodded again. "I think I need to test myself first. I need to see her, talk to her and finish this story. The wedding s will be that opportunity. Then, I will move on."

"I don't know if I agree with that."

"You don't need, Fabray. I'm just telling you because you are family and Rachel would tell you anyway."

And I thought I was tricky. I didn't want to pity on Santana, but it was what I felt. I washed the dishes before leaving home for shopping. It was another day of normalcy in my life. Rachel sent a text later in the morning when I was back in home, organizing the food and the cleaning products I'd just brought. She wanted to know if everything was okay and also to remember a series of small tasks and favors she want me to do. It was adorable and annoying at the same time.

My phone rang. It was Monica.

"Hello?"

"Hi Quinn." Her voice seemed animated by phone. "Are you at home?"

"Yes, I am. Did something happen? Did Alan changed the shooting schedule?"

"Huh? I can only call you when it's something work-related?"

"Of course not. Sorry. So, what's up?" My face flushed.

"I was wondering if you want to lunch with me today."

"What?"

"I am at the museum near your place and it's lunch time. Do you want to lunch with me?"

"Well, where?"

"You are the one that knows the neighborhood!"

"Well, ok. Wait me in front of the museum. I will be there in ten."

Monica was a great professional as an assistant. She was nice and made our life easier at the interviews and shootings. We never had a single problem because she failed of booking with someone. With her, the schedule was always right, she provide water for the crew and, sometimes, some snacks. And she also helped with the light. Monica is truly friendly, but, sometimes, I think she was into me.

Or maybe I was exaggerating.