A/N - Hey everyone! Happy Wednesday to you all. Bit late with the update this week but it's here now :)
Grateful thanks, as always, to my lovely beta... couldn't do this without you.
And thank you to you all... there'd be no point writing this, if no one was reading it and I am truly touched that so many of you are enjoying it!
'Til next time... xx
.oOo. Chapter Thirty Nine .oOo.
Beca finished her set around two thirty in the morning. She was ready to admit she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to fall into bed in Chloe's pool house. She'd settled in surprisingly quickly, the small space giving her an air of familiarity and the security of the estate helping her to relax for the first time in ages. She loved being so close to the girls as well.
Packing up her laptop, she wound the cables around themselves and shoved them into her backpack. She was just spraying down the decks with Lysol when she heard a knock on the door. Turning quickly, she blanched when she saw Luke leaning against the door jamb.
"Really Luke? Really?" She bit, ignoring any pleasantries as she slammed the spray can down onto the desk.
"Okay, so you're quite obviously mad," Luke said gently, holding up his hands in surrender. He watched as Beca turned back and continued ramming things into her backpack.
"Mad? I'm not mad..." Beca said, grabbing at her phone and shoving it into her back pocket so hard she almost ripped the seam. "Why would I be mad?"
"I call bullshit," Luke said politely.
"Is that your girlfriend's nickname?" Beca growled petulantly, slamming her hand down on the table.
"She's... she's not my girlfriend. I know you saw me kissing her. Chloe told me that you had, but she's not my girlfriend, at least not yet she-"
"-Save it Luke," Beca snapped. "Clearly Chloe knew, so you think it's okay for her to know but not me. Now the subtle hints that you've all been so careful not to drop around me, are making sense. Been having a laugh at my expense, have you?"
"Whoa, drop the attitude please, Beca," Luke bristled. "I've not actually done anything wrong here."
"Well no, of course not! The Queen of England's grandson or whatever the hell you are can do no wrong!" Beca spat, spinning round. "Why her?"
"Why her what?"
"Why pick Bitchy McQueen?"
"She's actually really nice once you get to know her," Luke said calmly, resisting the urge to match Beca's attitude. "Come on Becs, you said it yourself that you thought she wasn't as bad as you first thought. If-"
"-How long?"
"What?"
"How long has it been going on or did I witness the first kiss tonight? Blurgh..." Beca's whole body shook at the thought of it.
"Are you mad because it's her or are you mad because I didn't tell you about it?"
"I already said I'm not mad," Beca snapped.
"Am I not allowed to find someone and be happy then?" Luke asked quietly, causing Beca to turn around and realise that she was acting childishly.
Beca's shoulders dropped and she held out her hand towards Luke, all of the fight having left her soul, "I'm sorry, it's not fair of me to act this way. I was just surprised that you didn't tell me about it, that's all. I thought we were friends."
"We are Becs," Luke recognised Beca's attempt at a sincere apology and was also mildly pleased to see her reaching out physically towards him. "I met Aubrey at Chloe's barbecue, we swapped numbers and started talking. We've been out on a couple of dates. It's not serious yet and I was waiting to see if it went any further before telling you. I've hated keeping this from you."
"Okay," Beca said, but Luke could see she was uncomfortable.
"What did I do wrong here?" Luke asked, wanting to know what was bothering his friend so much. Beca shrugged her shoulders and looked up at the ceiling, her face flushing ever so slightly.
"You didn't tell me, Luke," Beca whispered, meeting his eyes for the first time.
"You don't tell me everything. Not at first, anyway."
"Yeah, I do..."
"Oh really?" Luke scoffed.
"Okay, so what didn't I tell you?" Beca bit.
"You want to get into this? Seriously?"
"Yeah, go on..."
"How about the enormous crush you have on Chloe for starters?"
"No, you knew about that..." Beca's face reddened as she spoke, stopping suddenly when she realised she'd walked into Luke's trap.
"Okay, so glad to hear that's still there. I mean, you keep it under wraps pretty well. Aside from the river of drool that falls out of your mouth every time she's around you."
"I don't do that!"
"Imaginary drool then," Luke smirked. "Luckily, they don't know you well enough but I noticed."
"You need to get out more," Beca deadpanned.
"You know the feeling is mutual, don't you?"
"Huh?"
"Chloe likes you too. At first, I put my thoughts aside but I see the way she looks at you," Luke smiled.
"She does not look at me."
"Well, you won't see it because you are oblivious to it all but I swear to you, she likes you as well."
"Because she looks at me?" Beca questioned.
"Also, because she's spent most of the night talking about you."
"So, she's listening to my music which-"
"-kicked arse by the way," Luke said pridefully.
"Um, thanks. But what I'm trying to say is that she's listening to my music, so I'm just on her mind because of that, that's all."
"Oh trust me, that's not it. I've learnt more about you tonight than I have done over the last three years."
"Oh don't give me that crap," Beca ran her fingers through her hair.
"It's not crap. She watches you-"
"-That's just creepy."
"Not like that! She's observant, more than I thought she was. She knows how you do certain things, why you act in certain ways and she's genuinely interested in you, as a person. She spent over half an hour this evening telling Aubrey about your favourite foods, what colour your pyjamas are, how you take your coffee, what you are like around the kids..."
"That's just because I'm living in her pool house."
"Becs, you've slept on my sofa more than I care to mention but I couldn't tell you what colour your PJ's are."
"That's hardly relevant and quit changing the subject. We were talking about you and Aubrey."
"We were," Luke nodded. "You were having a go at me for being friends with her and I stopped your train of thought. So, do you want to tell me the real reason why you are mad?"
Luke raised an eyebrow in Beca's direction. He watched his friend internally battle with the thought. She sighed heavily and cantered her weight onto her hip.
"I can't lose you Luke."
"You aren't going to lose me Beca, I promise you. No one else will ever take the place of you in my life. We've been through too much together to even contemplate that. Besides, I need you to work hard on the new Twenty One Pilots album so I can comfortably retire."
"Asshole!" Beca breathed out, grateful as always to Luke for ignoring her outbursts.
"I swear to you, we're friends for life," Luke held out his pinky finger towards her. "I promise."
"What the heck is that..." Beca nodded towards his hand. "... all about?"
"It's a pinky promise."
"It's a what now?"
"Oh, my bad. I forget you were raised in the caves in Baltimore, or something."
"Jerk!" Beca laughed, playfully hitting his arm. She linked her little finger with his.
"See, now we're bonded!" Luke grinned, pulling her in for a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"And I'm sorry I had to see you fish kissing the Ice Queen," Beca moaned into his shoulder as she hugged him back.
Luke laughed loudly and pushed Beca away from him. He could see the small smile on her face that suggested she was okay with it all. He loved Beca so much for the simple fact that she didn't hold a grudge for long. They'd discussed that before, how good she was at getting over a disappointment and he had, in the past, tried to emulate this in his own life.
"Need a hand packing up?" He asked, as she zipped up her backpack.
"No thanks, I'm almost done. Where is everyone?"
"Still in the VIP Lodge... I think they are waiting for you. Are you joining them for a drink?"
"That was my plan before you decided to ruin my night!" Beca said, her tone much lighter and playful. She finished packing her equipment bags and gave a last look around the booth to check for anything she might have left behind. She let out a raggedy breath. "Aubrey, seriously?"
"Seriously," Luke confirmed. "She and I hit it off. I wasn't looking for anything serious, she's just come out of a long term relationship so we said we'd take it slow but, yeah... there's something about her that I just find so intriguing. I am sorry that you had to find out that way."
"After I saw you, Chloe admitted she knew and that you were keeping it quiet but you should have... you could have told me about it."
"I know, and I'm sorry. Can I buy you a drink to make up for it?" Luke offered, reaching out of the heavier of Beca's bags and swinging it onto his shoulder.
"One of the complimentary drinks that I get anyway, you mean?" Beca laughed.
"I wouldn't want to spend any real money on you."
"You asshole!" Beca smacked his arm again, reaching for the light switch and sending the booth into darkness. "I take it back, Aubrey is welcome to you!"
"She respects you, you know?" Luke began, as they walked down the short set of steps that led towards the main entrance. "Says you are good for Chloe."
Beca shrugged her shoulders as they made their way along the corridor. She paused as they entered the foyer at the front of the building and ran her fingers through her hair.
"I can't afford feelings about Chloe right now. There's too much going on that still needs to be fixed."
"Doesn't mean the feeling isn't there."
Beca shook her head at Luke and gave him a small smile, "Like I said, I can't afford feelings right now."
"Okay, okay..." Luke grinned, nodding knowingly. He gestured to the bags they were holding. "What are we doing with all this?"
"Um, Lloyd said he'd give me a hand to load it into your car. It's in the underground lot."
"I can take it all down there, and you can go and meet the girls and relax for a bit," Luke offered.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
"Was thinking of seeing if they wanted to check out Bardot for a bit. Ted was saying earlier that it wasn't too busy up there, and there's a couple of booths free," Beca looked hopeful. It had been a while since she and Luke had hung out outside of work.
"Sounds like a good idea. Who's playing tonight?"
Beca's forehead creased for a second, "Aliens Don't Ring Doorbells."
"Adam's band?"
"Yeah, they are doing their 'Back To School' set if memory serves," Beca explained, thinking back to the roster pinned to the wall in the sound booth.
"Didn't you help-"
"-Yeah, I did a couple of mash up's for them. And wrote one of their songs on the 'I've Got A Wedgie' album; it was called Arrival. Are you joining us?"
"Only if you agree to get up there and sing with them!" Luke looked hopeful for a moment or two.
"Yeah, I'm not doing that," Beca shook her head.
"You should. You think Chloe likes you now, wait until she hears you sing. That'll seal the deal," Luke winked.
"Oh hush now" Beca blushed. "Besides, she's already heard me sing."
Luke took a half step back in surprise. "She has?"
"Yeah, I told you already. Jessie couldn't sleep so I went round to Chloe's and sang to her."
"To Jessie?"
"Well yeah, I'm not exactly going to sing Chloe to sleep, am I?
"Not yet anyway," Luke mumbled under his breath.
"What did you say?" Beca tilted her head to one side.
"Nothing, just clearing some thoughts out of my mouth, that's all."
"You are really weird, you know that?"
"It's why you love me!" Luke laughed.
"Dude, don't make it weird," Beca rolled her eyes in his direction.
"Do you want to go and grab everyone and head upstairs then?" Luke asked, reaching out and taking the backpack from Beca's shoulder.
"Yeah, sure. See you in a few?"
"Of course. Play nice, won't you?" Luke said, with a wave of his hand as he spun around and began walking to the underground garage.
"Laugh a minute, aren't you Bryant?" Beca shook her head, suddenly feeling the energy she'd kept up in the club begin to dissipate. She turned on her heel and walked across the short corridor towards the door that took her to the main part of the building and pushed on the old, squeaky door that sounded like a distressed cat.
Walking back up towards the main room where Chloe and the rest of the girls were waiting, she felt a pang of excitement at hearing what Chloe thought of her final set. She pulled her phone from her back pocket and checked for any messages before she ducked her head through the curtain that separated the corridor from the main dance room
Spotting Chloe's ginger hair amongst the few remaining people standing around, waiting before being kicked out for the evening, she approached the small group suddenly feeling a little shy. She cleared her throat as a way of announcing her arrival, and it was Aubrey who turned around first.
"Beca, hello," she said politely but Beca could see she'd had a few cocktails and had clearly lost some of her stiffness, judging by the wide smile on her face.
"Hi," Beca waved awkwardly, trying to avoid looking at Chloe after what Luke had just said. She could tell by the way Chloe was hopping from foot to foot that she was twice her usual, bubbly self.
"Your music was amazing tonight," Aubrey continued. "I was very impressed by the selection."
"Yo B!" Cynthia Rose clapped back on the back, nearly knocking the smaller girl flying. "That arrangement with Rascal Flatts 'Payin' For Daylight' and Beethoven's 'Für Elise' was the shit, girl!"
Beca grinned, tucking her head into her shoulder a little. She was enjoying both compliments but finding it easier to accept Cynthia Rose's. She stole a casual glance at Chloe and saw she looked fit to burst with pride. Aubrey also noticed Chloe almost shaking with excitement and laid a hand on Chloe's arm, stilling her almost immediately; something that didn't go unnoticed by Beca.
"Glad you liked it," Beca grinned at Cynthia Rose, before talking to the group as a whole. "Hope you've all had a good time?"
"It's been an amazing evening," Stacie smiled broadly. "Everything from the cocktails to the exceptional music; it's truly been a great night."
"Some of us have over indulged on the cocktails, I'm afraid," Aubrey chuckled, nodding discreetly towards the redhead who had stopped bouncing on her toes quite as much.
"That's okay," Beca laughed, "they were there to be enjoyed."
"She downed her last cocktail, her twelfth..." Stacie looked to Aubrey for confirmation, "and hasn't stopped bouncing since."
"We should get her home really, but I thought I'd try and sober her up a little more first," Aubrey explained.
"Well, Bardot is open for another couple of hours; I usually head up there for a quick drink after work to unwind... I'm sure they'll have water for Drunky McGee here."
"Thank you but we should probably get-" Aubrey started to say.
"-You!" Chloe suddenly leaned forward and booped Beca on the nose for the second time that evening. "Yooou are soooo cuuute!"
"Excuse you, I'm a total badass..." Beca grumbled but couldn't help the small smile tugging on the corner of her mouth.
"Nope!" Chloe giggled. "Just cuuuuute!"
Aubrey looked at her watch and Beca internally winced at the thought of everyone heading home straight away.
"I guess it's not that late," she said, somewhat surprising Beca.
"Great. I'll just go and find out where my friend Amy is and I'll take whoever wants to go up here. Happy to organise taxi's for anyone who wants to call it a night though."
"I'm cool to hang for a bit longer," Cynthia Rose nodded.
"Me too," Stacie agreed, grinning at Cynthia Rose.
"As am I," said a surprisingly quiet voice in Beca's ear, making her jump and turn sharply. Beca came face to face with a set of very straight bangs and a pair of unblinking penetrating eyes, no less than three inches away from her face. She was about to take a step back when the unknown person leaned even closer toward Beca's face and licked her on the nose.
"Aww, Lilly likes yoooou!" Chloe beamed, her voice surprisingly steady for someone who'd had twelve cocktails.
"Um, that's good to kn... whoa!" Beca squealed as Lilly picked her up around the waist and spun her around really fast, in three quick circles. "What's happening!"
"Lilly, best to put her dooown!" Chloe tried not to laugh, seeing the look of confused panic on the small brunette's face. "Becs, it's ooookay, it's just herrr way of showing affection."
"Do I have to..." Beca started to say before she was set back down on the ground with a jolt. "... call security or is she safe?"
Beca eyeballed Lilly as she took several steps backward, neatly slotting next to Chloe, a move which didn't go unnoticed by the group.
"Noooo, she's harmless!" Chloe laughed, tentatively reaching out to grab hold of Beca's hand. Aubrey clicked her tongue audibly and Beca noticed the blonde's fingers twitch as if she wanted to pull Chloe's arm away, as she felt the warmth from Chloe's hands travel up her arm.
"Um, yeah, okay, so... Bardot anyone?" Beca called out, needing to move the group along and wanting an excuse to drop Chloe's hand without pulling away. The gentle squeeze from Chloe's fingers was making her lose focus. "My friend Adam's band is playing tonight and we'll catch the last hour or so of their set if we're quick."
"The driver is picking us up at three..." Aubrey cast her eyes towards her watch and paused as she thought for a moment. Beca tried to school her features, so she didn't show just how crestfallen she felt. "... but I can get the number from Chloe's phone and ask him to wait a little longer."
Beca breathed out the breath she was holding and raised her hand towards the archway and the heavy velvet curtain that led the way upstairs, and began walking towards the entrance. She didn't pause until she reached the top of the stairs, needing a couple of minutes for her face to cool. She nodded to the attendant behind the podium, flashed her staff badge and thumbed the group behind her.
She finally turned around as she approached one of the empty booths, and guided the small group to take a seat, shielding Chloe as she could as a few heads in the club turned to look at the newcomers. Beca was starting to understand why Aubrey was so protective and trying so hard to keep her calm when they were downstairs. One inappropriate photo of her drunk or looking unkempt would be tomorrow's celebrity gossip front page.
Beca took the moment to try to understand how hard Chloe's life must be when everything she did was scrutinised.
She signalled to the barmaid who was loitering at the end of the stage and Ally - Beca thought that was her name anyway - approached their booth with a fist bump ready for Beca.
"Special occasion?" She asked Beca as she laid down paper drinks coasters for everyone and acknowledged Beca's casual shake of her head. "Hi everyone, my name is Lucy-"
'Oh, not Ally,' Beca thought.
"-and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you all to drink?"
"Cocktaaaaails!" Chloe yelled a little too enthusiastically.
"Make hers a virgin," Beca stage whispered into Lucy's ear, causing Aubrey's head to snap around quickly and send a wink, an honest to God wink, in Beca's direction. Beca found herself warming up to Aubrey a little more, remembering Luke's words about her earlier as well.
"Shall we start with a round of mojitos?" Stacie asked the group.
"Sounds good," Cynthia Rose agreed and everyone confirmed with a head nod. "Is there a place to get some cash out?"
"It's okay; this is on me guys," Beca nodded as everyone opened their mouths to protest. She'd already received a message earlier from the manager claiming that Avalon were trending on all forms of social media because of Chloe's presence in the place and all of their drinks in Bardot would be complementary.
"Your usual, Mitch?" Lucy asked, turning slightly to Beca as she punched the details into the small iPad she had in her hands.
"Yeah, thanks," Beca nodded, earning a smile from Lucy before she turned to collect the ordered drinks.
"Hey you!" Chloe whispered as Beca took a seat next to her. "You were awesome tonight."
"Thanks," Beca said, suddenly shy and felt her face flush again as Chloe's simple praise.
"You look really beautiful right now," Chloe giggled.
"Wow, you are drunk!"
"Who's drunk?" Chloe looked around just as Lucy returned with a tray of drinks.
"Never mind," Beca replied, watching Lucy unload the drinks noting the one she laid in front of Chloe had two slices of lime in amongst the mint and ice, rather than the one slice everyone else had. She nodded her thanks at Lucy and lifted her glass. "Cheers."
"Salut!" Aubrey lifted her glass to Beca's before clinking with Chloe's before she took a sip. "Oh, this is nice."
"What have you got there?" Chloe asked Beca. "It doesn't look like mine."
"It's just water."
"Water? Blurgh, how boring. You need a reallll drink."
"This is a real drink," Beca rolled her eyes good naturedly at Chloe.
"I say-" Chloe yelled into the centre of the table.
"-Chloe!" Aubrey hushed Chloe with her hands.
"Am I being loud? Should I hush my volume?"
"Yes!" the table chorused, together before falling into light laughter and smiles all around.
Beca sat watching them teasing each other, making small talk and sharing memories of the most drunk they'd ever been or seen each other at their worst. She liked these girls, the way they came from different walks of life, all going in different directions and watched as Cynthia Rose told her story with an abundant overuse of her hands, she began to feel like part of them.
No one seemed to care where she'd come from or what she was doing with her life; they were seemingly just interested in her as a person and as a friend. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, thumbing the screen and scrolling quickly to her messaging app. She tapped out a message to Amy, asking where she was, if she was still in the club and just letting her know that she appreciated her friendship.
A couple of minutes later, Amy texted back asking Beca why she was being weird and to let her know that she'd left the club and headed to Bumper's for the night.
Beca was just about to slip the phone back in her pocket when she felt Chloe slump against her a little. She ducked her head to her right and got a face full of red curls as a result as she realised Chloe had laid her head on Beca's shoulder and was already snoring lightly.
"Do you know the band well, Beca?" Emily asked.
"Yeah, I mean, pretty well," Beca explained, noting that no one was questioning Chloe falling asleep at the table. "I've co-written a couple of their songs and helped produce three tracks."
"Oh, that's cool. I like to scribble song lyrics every now and then," Emily continued, stirring her drink with the thin straw in the glass.
"Yeah?" Beca said, cocking her head to one side.
"Yeah, just stuff that floats around my head, you know?"
"I do. I'm not so good with the words but notes and transitions just follow me all day long," Beca clarified, with a small smile.
"I get that... it's like-"
"-DJ MitchMatch! Is that you?"
Beca's head snapped round at the sound of her name being called out over the microphone and she jolted Chloe awake at the same time. She saw Adam, the lead singer of Aliens Don't Ring Doorbells, smiling at her from the stage, pointing with his forefinger directly at her.
Beca flinched as more than half of the exclusive club turned to look at her, a polite smattering of applause filled the room and she blinked as a few people pulled out their phones and took her picture.
"It is you!" Adam called out. "DJ Mitch is in the house! Come on girl, come up and give us a song!"
"I don't sing!" Beca protested, putting her hands up.
"Yeah she does!" Chloe suddenly yelled, lifting her head from Beca's shoulder. "She does," she insisted when Aubrey tried to hush her.
"Sing for us! Sing for us!" Cynthia Rose and Stacie chorused together, grinning at each other, before calling out 'jinx!'.
"Who are we rooting for?" Luke asked, arriving at the best possible moment. "Hey everyone!"
"We're trying to get Beca up on the stage to sing with the band," Stacie laughed.
"Yeah, I'm not doing that," Beca moaned, lifting her glass to her lips in an attempt to avoid having the conversation. "And now everyone is staring at me."
"Well, they'll continue to do that until you get up there so..." Luke laughed.
"Luke, I don't sing."
"Yes, yes, yes... we've heard that all before," Luke said, putting his hands on Beca's shoulder. "Now, to coin one of Amy's phrases, 'get your skinny ass up on that stage and sing, show monkey!'"
"I hate you," Beca snarled, playfully hitting Luke in the stomach.
"No you don't. Yoooo love me... I mean him," Chloe laughed, pretty loudly, directly into Beca's ear.
"You are so wasted," Beca murmured back.
"Nooo, nooo, nooo not really, but I'd really like to hear you sing," Chloe smiled.
"Okay, okay..." Beca sighed, wiping her hands on her jeans as she stood up. She walked up towards the small stage where Adam bowed as she approached.
"My lady!" Adam called out, as he reached out his hand to help her up the short staircase. Beca brushed his hand away with a hissed 'asshat' and an unwelcomed grin as she wrapped her hand around the microphone, pulling it from the stand.
"Good evening everyone, I apologise for the interruption. I'm DJ MitchMatch, or Beca to my friends and I-" Beca paused as a hearty round of applause echoed around Bardot and Beca swore she heard a wolf whistle followed by an overly loud stage whisper of 'Chloe, behave yourself!'.
"-Thank you everyone!" Beca said politely, slipping straight into her 'alter ego' easily. "How good are the Alien's playing tonight?"
The clapping and cheering echoed around the club, causing Beca to turn around towards Adam and give him a cheesy thumbs up.
"Think they like you dude!" She laughed, "You must be paying them well!"
"Your check was the biggest Mitchell. Just sing your song and get off my stage!"
"You're a funny man, Mr King," Beca rolled her eyes at the crowd. "So, what are we singing tonight?"
"Anything you want," Adam bowed low before nodding to the band to get ready.
Beca flashed a cheesy grin in Adam's direction before turning back to the waiting people, "Okay nerds, let's go with..."
.oOo.
The ride back home in the limousine was quiet, with light talking and a lot of sharing photos over a group WhatsApp. Beca was wedged along the back seat, between Chloe and Stacie and was desperately trying to keep Chloe from sticking her head out of the limousine's sky light.
As the vehicle slowed down, breaking a little sharply for no traffic at four in the morning, Chloe stumbled and awkwardly teetered on the verge of falling over on her tall heels. Beca immediately reached out an arm and grabbed Chloe around the waist pulling her back towards the seat. With the car moving off as quickly as it had slowed, Chloe ended up falling into Beca's lap.
"Um, do you want to..." Beca gestured towards Chloe's seat, but the redhead shook her head.
"No, this is fine," Chloe giggled, not even trying to hide her yawn. Beca couldn't help but notice how adorable Chloe was when she was sleepy and didn't even mind when Chloe laid her head on Beca's shoulder when she did shift along to her own seat a moment or two later.
"Comfortable Beale?" Beca asked after a couple of minutes. She was finding the gentle scent of Chloe's perfume strangely cathartic.
"Yup," Chloe replied sleepily, yawning again. She reached out with her free hand to tuck some of her hair behind her ear and Beca was immensely proud of herself that she didn't react when Chloe's fingers ghosted over her breast as Chloe laid her hand back into her lap.
Instead, as Chloe slumped down further into Beca's lap, Beca laid a protective hand over the redhead's arm to keep her from moving as the limousine began turning into Chloe's estate.
"Is she asleep?" Aubrey asked, nodding towards her best friend a couple of minutes later.
"Yeah, out for the count," Beca answered, trying to wipe away the drool from her hand without looking like she was overwhelmed by it all.
"She's asleep?" Stacie questioned, looking around Beca to double check for herself. Stacie's eyes flicked to Aubrey's. "She never sleeps..."
"Hmm mmm," Aubrey nodded gently, squinting at Beca a little.
"You're good for her, Beca," Stacie offered a small smile in Beca's direction.
"I'm not... I don't..." Beca faltered, suddenly feeling very aware that everyone was looking at her.
"It's a good thing B!" Cynthia Rose grinned, just as the vehicle rolled to a stop with the slightest of squeaks to the brakes.
Beca ignored the comment and the looks everyone was giving her as she tried to get her seatbelt undone, without waking Chloe. She wasn't sure how she was going to get her into the house, knowing she wasn't strong enough to carry her.
"You'll have to wake her," Aubrey said quietly, reading Beca's mind.
"I feel bad though," Beca looked over to Aubrey as the other girls began to step out onto the sidewalk outside Choe's house.
"She's had a lot to drink so I'm sure she'll only be briefly awake," Aubrey said kindly. "Need a hand with her?"
"I've got her," Beca nodded before turning her head towards Chloe and whispering into her ear. "We're home."
"Hmmm," Chloe murmured.
"And we need to get out of the limo now."
"Hmmm."
"Come on, I'll help you into the house."
"Nooo, sleep... here."
"It's not comfortable here. Come on sleepyhead," Beca said in a surprisingly calm and sweet voice that made Aubrey smile.
"Mmm, 'kay," Chloe mumbled, lifting her head from Beca's shoulder. She stretched lightly before opening her eyes and looked round for her purse.
"I've got it," Aubrey said, knowing what Chloe was looking for and held up the small gold purse.
"Kay," Chloe rubbed a hand over her face before reaching out to Beca and wrapping her fingers around the brunettes.
Beca looked down at their linked fingers, but made no comment as she scooted along the seat towards the door, tugging Chloe with her. Aubrey, used to dealing with her friend, gave her a shove to get her moving.
Beca pulled Chloe to her feet once she was outside the limousine and nodded her thanks to Franz who tipped his hat, a polite smile on his lips. Beca wrapped her arm around Chloe's waist and began walking them towards the house, as Aubrey handed Franz an envelope from Chloe's purse. She heard them exchange pleasantries but was conscious that Chloe was wobbling even more on her heels. She looked up to see Stacie opening the front door, giggling over something Cynthia Rose was saying.
She was acutely aware that she could feel warm breath on the back of her neck and twisted around to see Lilly hot on her heels.
Realising she hadn't noticed her in the limo on the ride home, she shot her a questioning look. "Where did you come from?" she asked, not meaning to sound so shocked.
"I time travel," Lilly said quietly and skipped ahead to enter the house, making Emily jump as she came up behind the group gathered on the porch.
"She was probably riding in the trunk. It's happened before," Aubrey explained, stepping ahead of the pair as they came to the steps by the front door. Beca declined to comment.
"I think I'll take Chloe straight up," Beca said as Aubrey closed the door behind them, with the blonde giving an agreeable nod to Beca's statement.
"I'll make sure the girls keep the noise down in the kitchen," Aubrey laid down Chloe's purse on the small unit by the front door.
"Are people staying up for a bit?" Beca asked, noting Chloe was getting heavier and heavier with each step.
"Yes, come and join us for a drink in a few minutes?"
"Sure," Beca nodded in answer to the question. She turned her attention back to the task in hand and with more luck than judgement managed to get Chloe up the stairs without too much drama.
She entered Chloe's bedroom and perched the almost asleep actress on the edge of her bed, before leaning over to remove Chloe's shoes.
"Umm, pj's..." Beca said softly, knowing that sleeping in her little cocktail dress was not going to be comfortable but not having a clue where Chloe kept anything. She had a fleeting flashback to when she had bathed the girls in Chloe's bathroom a few days earlier and remembered seeing something on the back of the bathroom door.
Hoping it was safe to leave Chloe for a few moments, unsure if she was awake or asleep, she crossed the bedroom and walked through her dressing room towards the bathroom, hoping to find a discarded tee shirt if nothing else. Luck was on her side as she found what looked to be a set of pyjama bottoms and top on the hook by the shower door.
Grabbing them quickly, she hurried back to Chloe, seeing the redhead had fallen onto her side already.
"Two minutes Chloe, then you can sleep properly," she whispered as she shook out the pyjama pants and threaded Chloe's legs through them quickly, tugging the checked material up her thighs. Not allowing herself a moment to think about what she was actually doing, she did the best she could before eyeing Chloe's dress. Her face flushed for a second before she shrugged her shoulders and reached for the zipper.
Helpfully, Chloe stayed completely still as Beca unzipped her dress and pulled at the fabric in an attempt to pull it off of her. She grunted quietly as she half yanked, half smooched the soft material up and over Chloe's head, grimacing slightly at Chloe's inability to help.
Slotting the tee shirt over her head, Beca threaded Chloe's arms through the sleeves and pulled it down as best she could. Reaching round, she was about to pull the material down over her back when she noted more than a few scars on Chloe's lower back and one at the base of her shoulder blade. Hoping they weren't recent, Beca finished dressing Chloe for bed, silently refusing to take off Chloe's bra.
'Drawing the line there,' she thought to herself as she rolled Chloe into the middle of the bed and pulled the throw blanket from the chair by the window, laying it over Chloe and tucking her in.
She collected the discarded dress and shoes and placed them on the ottoman that sat at the base of Chloe's bed and with a casual glance to make sure Chloe was laying on her side, she clicked off the light before pulling the bedroom door behind her, leaving it slightly ajar. She quickly made her way back downstairs and joined the girls in the kitchen.
Stacie was busy pouring Beca a glass of wine as she entered the kitchen, holding it out towards the brunette as she took a seat on one of the kitchen stools.
"Welcome to the club!" Stacie grinned as Beca took the glass.
"The club?" Beca questioned.
"Having Chloe throw up all over you club!"
"She wasn't... she didn't... she's asleep already," Beca protested slightly, trying to keep Chloe's honour intact.
"Wow, you are super lucky!" Stacie laughed, clinking her glass with Beca's. "Chloe doesn't drink often but when she does, she usually picks a victim to-"
"-She's good. She's okay," Beca confirmed, setting the glass down on the kitchen counter. She was tired and didn't want a drink, but didn't want to seem rude around people that she didn't know that well. Luckily, she noticed that everyone had nearly finished their drinks and she hoped a second bottle wouldn't be opened before everyone went home. She glanced at her watch as subtly as she could.
"Tired?" Aubrey asked, taking a seat next to Beca.
"A little," Beca admitted. "Been a long day."
"You've been hiding something from us Beca, haven't you?" Cynthia Rose interrupted whatever Aubrey was about to say next.
"Um, what?" Beca said, her stomach twisting a little.
"Your pipes girl. I mean, Chloe was going on and on about how you could sing, but man, you really can!"
"Oh, no, well, not really. I mean, I'm not very good."
"You were so good!" Emily piped up from the other side of the kitchen where she was chatting with Lilly.
"You and Chloe would sound awesome together," Cynthia Rose turned to Aubrey. "Wouldn't they? Their voices would really complement each other."
"Chloe sings?" Beca asked Aubrey.
"She does. She's got a really nice voice. Different to yours though, and CR is right, you'd sound good together."
"I've not heard her sing," Beca admitted.
"She's a bit shy about it, like you. You've seen Rainy Days In Manhattan, haven't you?" Stacie asked.
"Um, no... I don't have much time for movies. Is Chloe in that one?"
"Yes," Stacie continued and Beca appreciated the lack of condescending looks or remarks. "It was one of her first lead roles. You should watch it if you get a couple of hours one day. Funny movie, but it's the movie that launched Chloe's career really."
"Oh okay," Beca said, her cheeks flushing about how little she knew about Chloe's career. She checked her watch again before stifling a yawn. "Sorry guys, but I'm going to have to call it a night. I've got to be in the office in a few hours. It was great seeing you all tonight."
"Thank you again Beca, it's been a wonderful evening," Aubrey smiled graciously. "I might see you over coffee in a couple of hours. I've got a late morning meeting."
"Coffee?" Beca asked, standing up. "You're staying tonight?"
"Yes," Aubrey nodded. "We all are."
"Oh right, sorry," Beca screwed her face up a little, forgetting that was what friends would do for each other and how Chloe had so many spare bedrooms. "I won't disturb anyone in the morning, I'll go out of the side gate. Luke will be by to pick me up around nine thirty."
"Don't worry about that," Stacie said, looking at Cynthia Rose. "Once we're in bed, we're out for the count."
"Well, that's good to know," Beca nodded, running her palms over her jeans. "Good luck whoever is dealing with Chloe in the morning."
"It will probably be me," Aubrey laughed lightly. "I'm on the sofa tonight so-"
"-Why are you on the sofa?" Beca looked confused for a moment.
"Oh, CR and Stacie are in the bedroom at the back; they usually share," Aubrey explained. "Lilly and Emily will take the other two bedrooms. It's not a problem, we take it in turns to have the sofa after a night out. I'd share with Chloe but..."
"Take the pool house," Beca offered and Aubrey put a hand up in protest.
"No, honestly, it's fine."
"Please, I insist," Beca patted her pocket for the key.
"Honestly Beca, I appreciate-"
"-If I wasn't here, you'd have a room to yourself as well. It's-"
"-The sofa is fine. It's only for one night." Aubrey smiled politely.
"Look, I wasn't exactly blessed in the height department and I'll fit on the sofa better than you. Please, take the pool house. I just need to grab a couple of things and I'll only be in there for..." Beca looked at her watch again. "... three hours. You may as well get more use out of it. The sheets were clean on this morning and-"
"-Aubrey, take the room!" Stacie laughed. "Or Beca will have a minor breakdown over it.
Beca shot a half smile in Aubrey's direction. Stacie seemed to understand what Beca was trying to do.
"If you are sure?" Aubrey asked.
"Honestly, it's all good," Beca nodded, laying the key on the counter.
"Thank you Beca."
"You're welcome. Well, I'll just grab my things and I'll see you guys... soon, I guess," Beca suddenly felt a little awkward.
"Night!" Stacie and Cynthia Rose chorused together, before giggling at the same time.
"I'll walk over with you," Aubrey said, picking up the key. Beca nodded, digging her hands into her back pockets, and turning to walk out of the patio doors. Aubrey followed closely behind and they crossed the patio together in silence, heading down the steps towards the pool.
As Aubrey put the key in the lock, she turned to Beca before pushing on the door.
"Thank you for being so gracious Beca."
"Yeah, no worries. I'm not much of a sleeper myself and the sofa is comfort-"
"-No, I mean about Luke and I," Aubrey explained. Beca noticed how bright her eyes were shining in the early morning sun.
"Oh. Right. I don't have much choice, do I?"
"Well, yes, actually you do. He isn't comfortable without your blessing."
"He doesn't need my permission. He can date who he wants to. I mean, yeah, I wish he'd told me before I saw you both on the dance floor earlier but it's cool, you know?" Beca shrugged. "But you both had your reasons for not saying anything so..."
"He's a really nice man," Aubrey said, almost formally.
"He's the best," Beca nodded. "Honestly, you can't really do much better than him. Although..."
"Although?"
"You could knock some of that British stiffness off of him, you know, if you wanted to."
Aubrey smiled broadly, immediately recognising Beca's attempt to make the situation less awkward. "I can certainly try."
With a nod, Beca pushed open the door into the pool house. She collected a couple of things she needed for work, her phone charger and some flash drives before ducking past Aubrey, who was waiting patiently by the small sitting area.
"Well goodnight Aubrey," Beca mumbled around two flash drives she was holding in her mouth.
"Yes, thank you Beca, and you. I'll see you soon. Goodnight."
"Hmm," Beca closed the door behind her and quickly scooted around the pool, towards the main house. She came in through the doors just as Stacie was crossing the hallway.
"I'll lock up," Stacie offered, seeing that Beca's hands were full. "Are you going to share with Chloe tonight or are you really going to take the sofa?"
"Um, the sofa."
"Be the perfect opportunity for you and Chloe to-"
"-Like I said, the sofa," Beca said a little stiffly. She was tired and wanted to get her head down for a little while, and didn't want to get into any silliness about her sharing with Chloe. Thinking that Luke had been talking about their private conversions irked her a little, although she knew it was completely out of character for him to gossip like that.
"Okay, well goodnight."
Beca nodded and walked towards the lounge, hearing Stacie set the alarm code before she pushed the door closed with her foot. She dumped everything from her arms onto the coffee table and quickly switched off the lamp on the end table before grabbing the throw on the back of the sofa, kicking off her shoes and laying down on the couch.
Feeling her phone dig into her hip, she quickly pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the notifications. She saw a couple of posts about her set at Avalon and more than a handful of good comments about her singing at Bardot. She scrolled to her messages and was surprised to see one from Luke, letting her know that their early morning meeting was cancelled and he'd pick her up around eleven thirty instead.
Grateful for the extra couple of hours of sleep, she laid her phone down on the coffee table, rolled over and closed her eyes, falling asleep easily, with dreams of red curls on her shoulder and the memory of just how soft Chloe's skin was as she put her to bed.
.oOo.