Some angst coming up in this chapter. I wrote and rewrote this thing like three times and it kept coming back to this. Don't hate me. I just wanted a little more drama before I got into the fluffy stuff.

Chloe's phone pinged indicating she had a text message. She pulled out her phone and saw it was from Beca.

Beca: Meeting with Mark scheduled for 7:00 on Thurs my house

Chloe: I'll be there

Chloe opened up another message for Aubrey.

Chloe: I'm leaving in 5 mins. See you at the restaurant

Aubrey: Okay see you soon

Chloe signed the last of the documents needing her signature and placed it in the folder. She grabbed her purse and jacket and left her office. She handed the folder to her assistant and told her they could wait until morning and she could go home.

Chloe's driver dropped her off at the restaurant and Chloe went in. Stacie and Aubrey were already there. The three greeted each other and Chloe sat down.

"So," Stacie said. "Aubrey and I need your help to move out of the condo this weekend."

"Beca and Trish already asked me to help them," Chloe said. "I guess I can come to yours first and take a load over to Beca's. Then we can move Trish's stuff after."

"We only have our clothes," Aubrey said. "We'll have everything packed so all we'll need to do is load them in the car."

"Okay," Chloe said. "I think it will be basically the same for Trish."

"Have they told you about the 3 Phase Plan Trish came up with?," Stacie asked.

"Yes," Chloe said. "Beca filled me in. It sounds like a solid plan."

The three girls ordered dinner and continued chatting.

"Did Beca tell you about the new singer we're trying to get for the label?," Chloe asked.

"Yeah," Aubrey said. "Beca said she's really good."

"I haven't heard her yet," Chloe said. "But, Beca says her voice is amazing."

"Have you talked to Beca?," Aubrey asked. "About something other than the label."

"Not yet," Chloe said. "We're meeting for dinner tomorrow to talk."

"Good luck," Aubrey said.

Dinner is done and the three give goodbye hugs and head back to their respective homes. Chloe looks through her closet to find the perfect outfit to wear to work tomorrow, which means she'll be wearing the perfect outfit to meet Beca. She finally decides on a light gray skirt and jacket with a dark red blouse. The blouse is loose and has four buttons. If she has all four buttons buttoned, the blouse is fine for business hours. But, if she unbuttons those same four buttons, the blouse is better suited for showing off her cleavage.

Chloe doesn't know how but she made it through the work day without any problems. She got in the car and told the driver she was going to Three Badasses studio. The driver dropped her off just around 6:00 and went looking for Beca. As she approached the offices she heard yelling. As she got closer she could tell it was Trish and Mark.

Chloe knocked on Trish's door and it was jerked open by Mark.

"Everything okay in here?," Chloe asked.

"She's just so infuriating," Mark exclaimed running his hand through his hair.

"I am not infuriating," Trish yells at him. "I just don't think we need to give in to every demand that an artist makes just to sign them. She's new to the whole music scene and we're giving her a shot at something. She should get the same standard contract that we give everyone else."

"This girl is going to make the label millions," Mark says getting agitated again. "We should give her something so that she actually signs with us."

"Do not offer her anything," Trish says. "We will discuss it tomorrow at the meeting. That's it for now."

Mark looks at Trish like he wants to say something else. He sighs and looks at Chloe.

"Excuse me," Mark says. "I'll see you tomorrow night at the owners meeting."

Chloe steps aside and allows Mark to get by. She steps into Trish's office and closes the door.

"So," Chloe says. "Want to give me a head's up on what was going on here."

"This new girl that Beca wants us to sign," Trish said. "She's asking for twice what we offer newbies. Plus, she wants total creative control over her music. Beca is not going to like that. You know how she is."

"Is she the only thing we need to discuss tomorrow?," Chloe asks.

"No," Trish says. "There are four artists total we are looking at signing. We'll listen to their demos and decide if we want to make them an offer. Plus, we need to figure out how to announce our divorce."

"Okay," Chloe says. "I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow. I've got to run. I'm meeting Beca for dinner."

"Oh, yeah," Trish said. "For 'The Talk'. She should be in her office."

"Yeah," Chloe said. "Thanks."

Chloe leaves Trish's office and walks a few doors down to Beca's. She knocks lightly and walks in. Beca is standing very close to a woman Chloe has never seen. A young, attractive woman.

"Oh," Chloe said. "I didn't know you had someone in here."

"It's okay," Beca said moving away from the girl. "This is Beth Lancaster, aka 'Blade'. She's the new talent we're talking with about signing with the label."

"Of course," Chloe said with a tight smile. "Chloe Beale. Co-Owner of the label. Nice to formally meet you."

"Pleasure," Blade says with a smirk.

"Right," Chloe says. "Becs, you ready?"

"Give me like five minutes," Beca said she says and turns to Blade. "If you have any more questions, they'll have to wait until tomorrow. Sorry, but I have a thing now."

"Thanks, Becs," Blade says stepping closer to Beca. "I'll see you later."

Blade leans in and kisses Beca on the cheek. She runs her hand down Beca's arm and gives her a wink. She turns to leave and gives Chloe a smirk as she brushes past her and out the door.

Beca clears her throat and looks at Chloe. Chloe is giving her a WTF look.

"What?", Beca asks.

"What the hell was that?," Chloe asks.

"What was what?," Beca says.

"She was flirting with you," Chloe says. "And you did nothing."

"She was not flirting with me," Beca scoffs.

"Not flirting, hmm?," Chloe asked. "What do you call it when someone gives you shy kisses on the cheek?" Chloe gives Beca a kiss on the cheek. "Or, slides their hand slowly down your your arm." Chloe slowly slides her hand down Beca's arm. "Or gives you a seductive wink." Chloe gives Beca a wink as her hand reaches the end of Beca's arm.

Beca swallows hard and forgets how to blink for a minute. She shakes her head to clear it.

"Okay," Beca says. "So she was flirting with me. It's no big deal. Can we go now?"

Chloe doesn't say anything, she just follows Beca out the door. They get to the diner and are seated. Chloe grabs a menu and starts looking at it. Beca does the same. The waitress comes over and they place their orders.

Once they are alone, the two girls just sit and look at each other. Chloe crosses her arms over her chest.

"Well," Chloe said. "You're the one who set this up to talk, so talk."

"Why are you mad at me?," Beca asks.

"God," Chloe said. "You are so clueless."

"About what?," Beca asked.

"About Blade's blatant flirting," Chloe said. "What are you going to do about?"

"What do you mean?," Beca asked.

"If we sign her," Chloe said. "You'll be spending a lot of time with her. If you don't stop it now, it will get progressively worse. Or is that what you want?"

"What? No," Beca said. "Come on, Chloe. It was just harmless flirting. Nothing more."

"So was mine," Chloe said. "But, you're actions say you wanted it to be something more. So the real question is, do you want it to be something more with Blade?"

"Oh, my God," Beca said. "You're jealous."

"Answer the question, Beca," Chloe said.

"This is ridiculous," Beca said.

"Tell me honestly," Chloe said. "Is there something going on that I should be jealous of?"

Before Beca can respond she hears her name being called. She looks up and sees Blade hurrying toward the table. She looks at Chloe who is just staring at her.

"Thank goodness," Blade says as she gets to the table. "I have a great idea to make my demo better."

Blade sits down and moves her chair closer to Beca. Chloe watches as she puts a hand on Beca's thigh and leans into Beca. Chloe looks at Beca with a raised eyebrow.

"Blade," Beca says. "We're kind of in the middle of something."

"But, I need to tell you this while it's fresh in my mind," Blade said. "You can spare a few minutes to talk to me. Can't you?"

"Well, Beca?," Chloe asked. "Are we going to talk or not?"

Beca just looks at her and Blade puts her hand on Beca's face and turns it toward her own.

"Please, Becs," Blade pouts. "I really need you. It will only take 20 minutes, 30 tops."

"I'm just going to go," Chloe said getting up from the table. "I've lost my appetite and really don't feel like talking to you right now."

Chloe gets up from the table and leaves Beca sitting in the diner with Blade. Chloe looks back whens she gets to the door and Beca is still sitting there with Blade practically in her lap. Chloe walks out and calls her driver to pick her up.

Trish decided to grab something for dinner before going home. She went to the diner hoping she could wait around and grab a ride with Beca. Trish walked into the diner and was shocked to see Beca and Blade sitting together, with Chloe nowhere in sight.

"Hey," Trish said walking over to the table. "Where's Chloe?"

"She left," Blade said.

"Why did Chloe leave?," Trish asked. "And, why the hell is she here?"

"I needed to talk to Beca about my demo," Blade said.

"I wasn't asking you," Trish said dismissively. "I was asking Beca."

"Are you going to let her talk to me like that, Becs?," Blade asks Beca with a pout.

"Becs?," Trish asks. "What the fuck is going on here, Beca?"

"What makes you think something is going on?," Beca asked.

"Because you and Chloe were supposed to be meeting to talk," Trish said. "And I come here and find, this, practically sitting in your lap and no Chloe. So, let me ask you again, wife, what the fuck is going on here?"

"Wife?," Blade asks. "I thought you were divorced."

"She's not," Trish spits out.

Trish just looked at Beca, waiting. Beca pushed Blade away from her and stood up. She took Trish's arm and pulled her back toward the restrooms. Trish snatched her arm away from Beca.

"Well?," Trish said.

"What do you want me to say?," Beca asked.

"Are you serious?," Trish asked. "I find some singer wannabe throwing herself at you and the woman you claim to love gone. Tell me why that is."

"I don't know why Chloe left," Beca said.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with that wannabe singing tramp," Trish said. "Hanging all over you when you were supposed to be having dinner with Chloe. Would it?"

"Chloe was talking about how Blade was flirting with me," Beca said. "She asked if she had any reason to be jealous of Blade."

"What did you say?," Trisha asked arms folded across her chest.

Beca looks down at the ground.

"What. Did. You. Say?," Trish asks again through gritted teeth.

"I didn't say anything," Beca snaps at Trish. "That's when Blade showed up."

"You're a fucking idiot," Trish said. "How do you think Chloe felt seeing Blade practically sitting in your lap and you letting her? You and Chloe were supposed to have 'the talk.' How'd that work out for you?"

"We never got to talk," Beca tells Trish.

"Oh," Trish said. "And why exactly is that?"

"Blade showed up," Beca said quietly.

"So, seems to me that maybe Chloe does have reason to be jealous," Trish said. "If you let Blade just barge in on you while you're with Chloe, where exactly does that leave Chloe?"

"I love Chloe," Beca said.

"And, yet, she's not the one you're with," Trish says. "What did she say when she left?"

"That she lost her appetite," Beca said. "And, didn't really feel like talking to me right now."

"And you let her go," Trish says.

"What was I supposed to do?," Beca asks.

"Stop her," Trish said. "Tell Blade you two could talk during business hours and make her leave. Declare your undying love to her so Blade would get the hint and leave on her own. I don't know, but letting her go sure wasn't the right move."

"I'm an idiot," Beca said.

"Yes, you are," Trish said. "Now what are you going to do about changing that?"

"Nothing's going to happen between me and Blade," Beca said.

"That's not what I asked you," Trish said. "But, are you sure about that? If I asked Blade the same question, would her answer be the same as yours?"

Beca sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"What do I do?," Beca asked.

"First thing you're going to do," Trish said. "Is kick Blade to the curb. There is no way we're signing her now. Second, you are going to go crawling back to Chloe and beg her forgiveness for being such a dumbass and actually talk to her. Third, you're giving me a ride home."

Trish and Beca walk back to the table where Blade is sitting. She was eating from one of the plates the waitress had left.

"What the hell are you doing?," Trish asked.

"Chloe left and I didn't want the food to go to waste," Blade said.

Trish turned to Beca and mouthed "make her leave."

"She's eating," Beca said. "Let her finish and then she can go."

"Thanks, Becs," Blade said and jumped up and gave Beca a quick kiss on the lips

Trish looked at Beca who just blushed and looked away.

"So, Blade," Trisha said. "Are you expecting anything to happen between you and Beca?"

"You mean romantically?," Blade asked.

"Yes," Trish said. "I mean romantically."

"We've already got something special going on," Blade said with a smile. "It's just a matter of time before it progresses to something more. And I, for one, am so looking forward to that."

Trish again looked at Beca. Beca stood there not saying anything and not looking at Trish.

"Do you have anything to say, Beca?," Trish asked.

Beca just looked at Trish. Blade grabbed Beca's hand and smirked at Trish. Beca didn't move.

"God," Trish said. "You really are an idiot."

Trish waits for Beca to say something to Blade or at least pull her hand away. Beca does nothing.

"I'm going to stay with Aubrey and Stacie tonight," Trish says to Beca. "I'll have my stuff moved out sometime tomorrow. I have a feeling I know how this is going to go. You'll be too stubborn to just tell Blade to back off because you think you can handle her and it doesn't mean anything. Then one morning you'll find yourself waking up with her next to you, wondering how the hell it happened. And Chloe will be gone. If you want to know what Chloe is going through right now, what she's feeling. Think about how you felt when you found out about her fiance. If you're willing to knowingly let her hurt like that, I don't really want to be around you."

Trish walks out of the diner. She pulls out her phone as she walks back toward the studio.

Trish: You OK?

There is no response after fifteen minutes so Trish sends another text.

Trish: Is Chloe with you?

Aubrey: No. She had plans with Beca.

Trish: Can I crash at the condo tonight?

Aubrey: Sure. What's going on?

Trish: I'll explain when I get there.

Aubrey tells Stacie about Trish's text.

"What do you think happened?," Stacie asked.

"Trish asked if Chloe was with me," Aubrey said. "So I guess it'd be fair to say that Beca upset Chloe somehow. Must have upset Trish too if she's spending the night here."

"Shit," Stacie said. "This doesn't sound good."

Trish arrived at the condo lugging a huge suitcase. Aubrey lets her in and Trish puts the suitcase in the hallway. She walks over and flops on the sofa.

"I'm going to get the rest of my things from Beca's tomorrow," Trish said. "You can stay until the weekend like we planned. Do you have any wine?"

Stacie gets the wine and three glasses and returns to the living room. She pours the wine and each girl takes a glass. Trish takes a large gulp and looks at the other two girls. She tells them about all that transpired with Beca and Blade. Stacie is livid.

"Let's take a step back for a second," Aubrey said. "Beca never came right out and said she wanted to be with Blade."

"She never came right out and said anything," Trish said.

"Blade told her exactly what she was expecting to happen," Stacie said. "And Beca didn't say a word. And she let Blade kiss her on the lips and didn't do anything about it."

"I need to talk to Beca," Aubrey said. Aubrey pulled out her phone and texted Beca.

Aubrey: I need to talk to you

Beca: I can't

Aubrey: Why not?

Beca: I just can't

Aubrey: Dammit, Beca. You need to talk to me because everyone else already thinks you're dumping Chloe to be with Blade. WTF is wrong with you?

Beca: Meet at mine in 20

Aubrey: Ok

"I'm going to Beca's," Aubrey tells Stacie and Trish. "I'll see if I can sort this out."

Aubrey leaves and is at Beca's house 20 minutes later. She knocks and Beca immediately answers.

"You want to tell me exactly what happened today?," Aubrey asked as soon as she walked in the door.

"I'm not sure," Beca said. "One minute I'm trying to talk to Chloe and I accused her of being jealous of Blade. She asked me if she had reason to be jealous. Before I could answer, Blade showed up."

"What did you do?," Aubrey asked.

"Nothing," Beca said.

"You're an idiot," Aubrey said.

"So I've been told," Beca said.

"Why didn't you just tell Blade to leave?," Aubrey asked.

"She wanted to talk about her demo," Beca said. "She had a new idea for it and she was excited."

"Don't you have an office for that sort of thing?," Aubrey asked. "And how did she know where you were going to be? Is she stalking you? And why is she talking to you about her demo? Is she signed to the label?"

"I, um," Beca said.

"Trish said that Blade kissed you," Aubrey said. "And you didn't stop her."

"I was caught by surprise," Beca said.

"Did you say something to her about it after Trish left?," Aubrey asked.

Beca doesn't say anything.

"Trish also said that Blade made it quite clear," Aubrey said. "That she expects, this, whatever you two have, to become something more intimate. Did you tell her you already had something with Chloe?"

Beca still doesn't say anything.

"Unbelievable," Aubrey says. "Wake the fuck up, Beca! Just standing there is not helping your case at all. I'm trying to be your friend here, but right now all I want to do is the beat the shit out of you."

Beca runs her hands through her hair and looks at Aubrey.

"If you really love Chloe as much as you say you do," Aubrey said. "You would have made Blade leave the minute she barged into that diner. You would have had your talk with Chloe and probably be at her house making out right now. But, no, you ignored Chloe instead of pushing Blade away. If all this is happening because you are confused, and don't know what you want with Blade, then you need to sever all ties with Chloe. It's not fair to her to have you keep stringing her along. But, if you do let her go, I honestly don't think she'll come back to you. I hope you're ready to live with that."

Aubrey walks over and pulls Beca into a hug. Beca stiffens and just stands there. Aubrey let's her go with a sigh.

"Stacie is ready to tear you to shreds," Aubrey says. "So, I think it would be better if we stay elsewhere when we vacate the condo. Thanks for the offer though."

Aubrey turns and leaves. Beca just falls to the floor tears flowing down her face.

"What the hell is wrong with me?," she screams into the empty room.

Aubrey sits in her car for a few minutes trying to calm herself down. Beca had come so far and now she was reverting back to the Beca who pretended she didn't need anyone and she could handle things on her own. Her phone pinged and she saw it was a text from Trish.

Trish: Chloe called. She was being way too normal. Something's wrong and shit's about to get real.

Beca pulled herself together and pulled out her phone to send a text.

Beca: Can we please talk?

Chloe: Nothing to talk about. We're good. See you at the meeting tomorrow night.

Beca's phone shatters as it hits the wall.