CHAPTER 11
A/N: Thanks to Lana66, Mari1-921, Supergirl2121, sandrienchen84, pjay413, Tamardejong, BizzleB90, pacumeme57, Mariu4, andyjayj, Yadi, May1217, Marie RieRie England, and the Guest for their reviews. Special thanks to WhitWalk for proofreading this chapter. I'm sorry it took me so long to update the story but I was a bit stuck and I needed time to figure it out.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (FRIDAY NIGHT) – AT BRITTANY'S HOUSE – BRITTANY's POV
"Have you decided what you're gonna wear?" Sofia asks me while doing my make-up in the bedroom. Santana will pick me up for our date in about an hour.
"I'm not sure… I was thinking the silver dress?"
"Oh, well, it's a very nice dress but…" Sofia trails off. "I mean, the plan is to drive mama crazy, right?"
"Um… yeah, I guess…" I chuckle.
"Then you must wear your light blue dress."
"Oh peanut, I don't know… It's a plunge neck dress and I…"
"But that's exactly my point, mom!" She cuts me off. "That dress is perfect! It shows cleavage and it also highlights your hips… Plus, it's going to bring out your eyes." She argues. "I'm sure that when she sees you in it, mama's eyes will pop out like in cartoons!" She adds, making me laugh at the thought.
"Okay, okay, you convinced me!" I chuckle and she immediately gives me a proud smirk that looks just like Santana's.
"Alright, I'm done with your make up." She says, handing me a mirror.
"Oh wow, peanut… It looks great!" I say in amazement, looking at my reflection. "I didn't know you were so good at this!"
"Oh well, you know… Charlotte is obsessed with make-up and she taught me a few things…" She shrugs. "Okay, I think my work is done here…" She says, replacing my loose curls over my shoulders. "I'll let you get dressed."
ABOUT AN HOUR LATER – AT BRITTANY'S HOUSE – SANTANA's POV
Standing on Brittany's doorstep, I take a few deep breaths and finally ring the doorbell.
God, why do I feel so nervous?
"Hey!" Brittany says with a smile, upon opening the front door.
As soon as I see her, I feel like all the air in my lungs has been sucked out. She's so fucking beautiful, she looks like an angel! A really, really sexy angel…
"Hi…" I eventually manage to stutter in a timid voice. "You look… absolutely breathtaking…" I sigh in disbelief.
"Thanks!" She says, looking adorably shy. "You're stunning too…"
"Um… you ready to go?" I eventually ask, realizing that I should stop staring at her like at that.
"Sure! I just need to let Sofia know we're leaving…" She says. "Peanut?" She shouts.
"Yeah?" Sofia says from afar, before joining us in the hall. "Oh, hi mama!" She adds, giving me a kiss.
"Mija…"
"So, we're gonna go…" Brittany tells our daughter. "Can you keep an eye on your brothers?"
"Sure!" Sofia nods.
"And no boyfriend over while we're gone, okay?" I warn my daughter.
"You don't have to worry about that, because Liam is out of town. He's at his uncle's for the weekend."
"Well, that might be the best news I've heard today!" I say with a provocative content smile.
"Oh look, it's time for you to leave!" Sofia says in a fake disappointed tone, before pushing us out. "Well, have fuuun!" She sing songs.
"And make sure to bring her back by midnight!" She shouts in my direction as Britt and I walk to the car, making me roll my eyes.
A FEW MINUTES LATER – IN THE CAR – BRITTANY's POV
"But I can't see anything with this sleep mask…" I complain, while Santana is driving us. Why would she make me wear this thing?!
"That's kind of the point, Britt…" I hear her chuckle. "I don't want you to know where we're going, because it's a surprise…" She explains. "But don't worry, we'll get there very soon! And it will be worth it, I promise…"
"Fine." I sigh in defeat.
We drive for another 2 or 3 minutes, before she eventually parks the car. She was right… Wherever we are, we got there really quickly!
Too quickly, even… Where can we be? There are no restaurants this close to my house! Unless…? No, it can't be… right?
"Let me help you take this off…" Santana suddenly says in a soft voice, gently removing my mask. Her mischievous smile is the first thing I see, until she nods towards the right and I turn my head to take a look through the car window.
"Oh my God…" I say, opening my eyes wide in disbelief, although my initial suspicion was right. "We're at Tony's?!"
"Well, I figured it was the best place for our date…" She shrugs timidly. "Is that okay?"
"Yes!" I immediately say in excitement.
I can't believe it… I haven't been here in years, not since our divorce… Tony's used to be our favorite place and I simply couldn't imagine coming here without Santana. We have so many memories here… This is where we would spend all our date nights and celebrate our wedding anniversaries, or any other big milestones, like getting pregnant… I even used to refer to it as our "Angelenos Breadstix".
It's funny because we discovered this restaurant by chance, about a year after moving into our house. But we loved it right away! The food was amazing, the atmosphere was romantic and Tony was so welcoming that he made us feel like family! He even used to say that we were his favorite customers.
We loved this place so much that we selfishly decided to keep it a secret. We never mentioned it to our family or our friends, and we never even brought the kids here.
"Well… shall we?" Santana asks with a smile.
"Uh, yeah but…" I trail off. "Did you book a table? I mean, is Tony even expecting us…?" I ask, suddenly embarrassed.
God knows we used to eat here very often but we stopped coming from one day to the next, when Santana and I broke up. I'm not even sure Tony knows about our divorce… To him, it must have looked like we had just vanished, without warning…
"You don't have to worry, Britt…" Santana says in a reassuring tone. "I did call Tony to book us a table, and I explained the whole situation. He completely understood and he said he couldn't wait to see us."
"Okay…" I say, feeling a lot better. "Let's go then…"
After crossing the street, we enter the restaurant and we have barely passed the door when Tony sees us.
"BRITTANA!" He says way too loud, spreading his arms while walking towards us. "Look at you! You haven't changed one bit, ladies! You're just as beautiful as ever!" He adds, before hugging us.
"Hi Tony…" I say, giving him a warm smile.
"It's good to see you, Britt!" He says, returning my smile. "You too, Santana!"
"But come, come…" Tony adds, leading the way to what used to be our table, the "best table in the whole restaurant", according to him.
"Here…" He says, pulling the chair for me to sit. "So… you'll have the usual?"
"You still remember what we used to order?!" I ask in disbelief.
"Of course! You didn't think I would forget my favorite customers, did you?" He protests, winking at me to make it clear he's not offended. "I'll be right back."
"Thanks, Tony!" Santana says, as he walks away.
"God, this is so unreal…" I say, looking around. "This place hasn't changed at all!"
"I know." She chuckles. "Five years have passed and lots of things happened… and yet, here we are. Same restaurant, same table… same pretty girl…" She says, locking eyes with me, and I'm sure I must be blushing right now.
Somehow, it feels like we have come full circle. When we were teenagers, Santana and I didn't plan the first time we had sex, it just happened out of nowhere. We had our first real date only long after that - at our favorite restaurant in Lima - and eventually got into a serious relationship.
The recent events followed a similar pattern: we had sex without planning it, and are now having our first real date, at our favorite restaurant. I can only hope that with time, we'll eventually get back into a serious relationship…
"I'm really happy to be here…" I say, reaching out for her hand, across the table.
"Me too, Britt…" She smiles, giving my hand a squeeze.
"So, here we go, some antipasti…" Tony suddenly says, placing a platter in front of us. "And some champagne, on the house!" He adds, filling our glasses while we give him a grateful look. "Enjoy, ragazze!"
"Cheers…" Santana says, raising her glass.
"Cheers…" I repeat, clinking my glass against hers, before taking a sip.
LATER – AT TONY'S
"It's the first time I got to do it all by myself, you know?" Santana says with enthusiasm. "I mean, to be fair, I did write the script with Quinn but… I handled all the rest alone: I selected the cast, I wrote all the songs, and I even directed and edited it myself!" She adds with pride while I drown into her sparkling brown eyes. I've always found fascinating how invested she is in her artistic projects… It's the sexiest thing!
"Of course, Lee tried to take all the credit but I didn't expect any less from him." She sighs. "Quinn, on the other hand… I swear, you should have seen her offended face! It was so funny that sometimes, I even laugh alone in bed just thinking about it!" She chuckles.
Santana is so beautiful tonight that I can't look away. I'm even getting butterflies all over my stomach, just by seeing that luminous smile of hers.
"So, ladies, did you enjoy your meal?" Tony suddenly asks, pulling me out of my thoughts. When did he get here?
"It was even more delicious than in my memories!" I say while he takes our plates away.
"I second that!" Santana immediately adds, nodding.
"Well, you know… A good cook is like a fine wine, it gets better with age." Tony replies, obviously proud at the compliment. "I hope you still have some room for a 'Brittana' cake?" He asks.
"You still do that?" I say, not believing my ears.
Years ago, Tony asked us what our favorite cake was and while I said chocolate, Santana replied strawberry. That same night, Tony served us a single cake that was half chocolate, half strawberries, with two forks. And he named it the 'Brittana' cake.
"Of course! It's sitting in the kitchen and ready to be served! I'll bring it over…" He replies, walking away.
"That guy is really one of a kind…" I say, shaking my head in disbelief.
"He sure is." She chuckles.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER – AT TONY'S
"So, how is it?" Santana asks me as we are sharing the famous cake.
"Oh my God, it's so good!" I say, covering my mouth still full. "Do you want a taste of my half?"
"Oh, I'll taste any of your halves…" She says, wiggling her eyebrows, and I can't help but chuckle. At least, she's flirting with me…
"Try that, silly…" I say, bringing the fork to her mouth.
"Wow, it is good!" She nods in agreement. "Wanna taste mine?" She asks.
"Oh, definitely…" I say with a smirk while staring into her eyes, showing her that I also master the art of double meaning.
"You're a naughty one, Pierce…" She chuckles, shaking her head.
"Well, as I recall, you used to like that…" I argue, holding her gaze.
"I still do…" She admits in a whisper, smirking at me.
EVEN LATER – JUST OUTSIDE BRITTANY'S HOUSE
"Well, it's… 11:57 PM…" Santana says, after parking the car a few feet away from my house.
"That should make our strict daughter happy." I reply, making her chuckle.
"Come on, I'll walk you to the house…"
We cross the street together and as we reach the sidewalk, I feel her grabbing my hand, intertwining our fingers.
We walk hand in hand for a minute but she eventually stops just outside the gate, most likely not to be seen by the kids. I know there is no point to invite her inside because during dinner, she repeated her wish to take things slow… And although she was fine with Sofia knowing about our date, she said she didn't want to tell the twins yet, not until we're sure it's working between us.
"I had a really great time tonight…" I say, looking into her eyes.
"Me too, Britt…" She smiles.
Our eyes are locked but my gaze eventually moves to her perfect plump lips. I have been wanting to kiss them all night, but I know I can't make the first move. Since she's the one that wants to take things slow, it has to come from her.
I'm pulled out of my thoughts when her hand suddenly cups my cheek. As our eyes meet again, I can feel my heart pounding hard in anticipation, until she finally leans in and tenderly presses her lips on mine.
And just like that, the fluttery sensation in my stomach returns, ten times stronger than during dinner. She keeps our lips connected for a few seconds but eventually pulls away a little, and all I want is for her to kiss me again.
Fortunately, she soon pulls me back into a slow, loving kiss, that she progressively deepens. I kiss her back passionately, my hands finding her waist, to keep her close to me. This kiss is different from the others we've recently shared, most likely because this time, we don't have to feel guilty. She's not Melissa's anymore, she's a free woman and I definitely want her to be mine.
She eventually breaks the kiss, resting her forehead on mine as we're both trying to catch our breath.
"Does that mean there will be a second date…?" I ask, panting.
"Oh, definitely…" She chuckles.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER – AT BRITTANY'S HOUSE
As I silently make my way to my bedroom, I notice a slit of light under Sofia's door.
"Peanut?" I whisper, knocking gently.
"Yeah, come in…" I hear through the door and I immediately open it.
"Hey…" I say, sitting on the edge of her bed. "How did it go with your brothers tonight?"
"It was fine, we watched a movie." She says, placing her book on her nightstand, before sitting up in bed. "But what about you, how was your date?" She asks with a smirk.
"It was wonderful…" I say, unable to hide my smile.
"Aww… look at you, you're all smitten!" She chuckles. "Did you guys kiss?"
"We did…" I confirm in a timid whisper.
"Yay! Well done!" She says with an enthusiastic smile, holding her hand up for a high five.
"Thanks…" I laugh.
"So… what happens now?"
"I don't know…" I shrug. "Mama wants to take things slow, but she also said there will be a second date, so…"
"That's great, mom!" She says, squeezing my hand. "I'm really happy for you! And for mama, too."
"Thank you…" I say, kissing her forehead.
THE NEXT DAY (SATURDAY) – AT PARAMOUNT – SANTANA's POV
"Good morning!" I tell Quinn, walking into her office.
"Why are you so cheerful?" She immediately asks, squinting in suspicion.
"What?" I frown. "I'm not allowed to be in a good mood?"
"In a good mood?!" She repeats, looking shocked. "Since when? You're usually grouchy when we have to work on a Saturday! Especially when you haven't had coffee yet. And I don't see a coffee mug in your hand." She says.
"Oh my God! Did you get laid?" She whispers.
"What? No!" I frown, offended. "Seriously, Fabray, I just say 'good morning' to you and you automatically assume I had sex?!"
"Well, yeah!" She confirms in a sure voice. "Why else would you be so happy?" She adds, making me open my mouth in offense.
"There are lots of reasons why I could be happy!" I argue.
"Not really, no…" She says, making me roll my eyes. "But okay, if it's not sex, it's still gotta be related to Brittany, right?" She asks but she doesn't even give me the time to answer.
"Ah, I knew it!" She says with a proud smirk. "What happened? Tell me everything!"
"Well, um… we… we went out on a date last night." I say, unable to contain my smile.
"Oh, finally! So, how was it?" She asks in excitement, wiggling her eyebrows.
"It was great! It was… us." I shrug.
"Aww… But… nothing happened?" She asks in disbelief.
"Well… we kissed."
"Oh, yay!" She says enthusiastically, pumping the fist. "And how was that?"
"It was amazing…" I shrug. "Seriously, she makes me feel stuff that I don't feel with anyone else…"
"I'm really happy for you, San…" Quinn nods. "But… no sex then?"
"No, I just… I need to take things slow." I confirm, until I see her smirk.
"What are you smirking about?"
"Oh, nothing. It's just that Puck owes me 50 bucks."
"What?" I frown.
"We bet on whether you and Brittany would have sex on the first date. And I won!"
"You bet on my love life?!" I ask, outraged.
"Oh, don't be offended! Puck and I bet on everything! It's easy money, I win every time!" She shrugs proudly. "But let's not digress. When are you going to see Britt again?" She's quick to ask.
"Well, tomorrow I guess… We figured it would be nice to spend the day together with the kids, as a family."
THE NEXT DAY (SUNDAY) - LUNCH TIME – AT THE PARK
Since the weather was really nice, Brittany and I decided to take the kids to the park and have a picnic there. We both brought some homecooked food and it was so good that it felt like a feast!
"I'm so full…" Sofia sighs.
"Me too…" Gabriel says.
"Really?" Diego asks in disbelief, making me shake my head. It figures that he would still be hungry, the boy is a bottomless pit! "I'm super thirsty though, and we don't have any water left…"
"Well, you can drink the rest of my bottle if you want…" I suggest. "It's still half full."
"What?!" He frowns in disgust. "No, thanks. I'm not going to exchange saliva with you, it's gross!"
"And yet, it doesn't seem to bother you when you suck faces with half of your school!" I argue.
"It's so not the same!" He says. "You're my mother." He adds, as if that was some kind of insult.
"You're right, I am your mother. I'm the one who wiped your tooshie day after day when you were little! And you're disgusted by a little saliva?"
"Did you really have to bring that up while we're eating?" Sofia complains in a jaded tone, looking at me.
"Well, trust me: talking about it is not anywhere as disgusting as actually doing it!" I reply.
"Okay, now I'm done eating for sure…" She says with disgust and walks away, shortly followed by her brothers.
"Can you believe this?" I say in an offended tone, turning to Britt.
"Well… for what it's worth, I personally love exchanging saliva with you…" She says with a flirty wink, before getting up as well.
LATER THAT DAY (EVENING TIME) – AT BRITTANY'S HOUSE
After doing the dinner dishes in the kitchen, I make my way to the bathroom when I'm suddenly pulled into the home office. Before I can even understand what's going on, Brittany's lips crush against mine.
"Britt… what are you doing?" I whisper after the initial shock, pulling away. "The kids could see us…"
"It's okay, I just checked on them and they are all upstairs." She replies, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Sofia is on the phone with Liam and the boys are playing video games, which means that they will all be busy for a good while. So, please, San… just kiss me… I have been thinking about this all day…" She confesses, biting her lip.
I swallow hard in anticipation as her mouth gets dangerously closer to mine. But this time, I don't protest when she reconnects our lips.
EVEN LATER THAT DAY – AT BRITTANY'S HOUSE
"Do you hear that?" Sofia suddenly asks while we're all watching a movie together.
"Yeah… the wind is surely blowing hard!" Brittany replies.
"Well, apparently, there is a storm coming…" Diego says, checking the news on his phone.
"Really?" Britt asks, sounding a little more worried this time.
"Yeah, they recommend against going outside but they say we should be safe if we stay home." He replies.
LATER – IN THE KITCHEN
"Stay here?!" I frown. "Oh, come on… You can't be serious!"
"I'm very serious." Britt says. "You heard what they said on TV: it's too dangerous to be on the road right now!"
"But, Britt…"
"You're not driving in this weather, Santana." She warns, looking me straight in the eye, as if the use of my full name was not already chilling. "You're not going to risk your life and go back to your empty house just out of principle!"
"Fine." I give in, crossing my arms. "But I don't have any of my stuff with me: I don't have my pj's… I don't even have a spare pair of underwear!" I complain.
"It's still not a reason to take the car." She argues. "And I can lend you underwear." She shrugs, immediately sending my mind to a dirty place.
"Don't." She warns while raising her index finger, clearly reading me like an open book.
Busted.
MUCH LATER THAT NIGHT – AT BRITTANY'S HOUSE – BRITTANY's POV
"San? All ok with the clothes?" I whisper, after knocking on the door of the guest room.
Even though I would have preferred to share my bed with her, we agreed it was best to sleep in different rooms tonight, especially since the kids are home with us.
"I look ridiculous!" She complains upon opening the door. Even though I gave her some clothes that had shrunk in the wash, they are still slightly too big for her.
"It doesn't look that bad." I shrug.
"Are you kidding me? I look like a human tent!"
"Come on, San, you're exaggerating… You used to wear my t-shirts in bed all the time!" I argue. "And they were bigger than this."
"It's so not the same!" She immediately says. "I didn't have to impress you then, you were already in my bed!" She adds, raising her arms.
"Well, if that helps, I'm very impressed with what I'm seeing…" I say in a flirty voice, before giving her a warm smile.
"You're just saying that…" She mumbles, looking down as if she was embarrassed.
"I'm definitely not just saying that…" I reply, raising her chin with my fingertips.
Our eyes lock and just like earlier - like every time really - I feel pulled to her mouth like a magnet.
I gently cup her cheek and after searching her eyes for approval, I eventually capture her lips into a tender kiss.
This time, she doesn't break the kiss, probably because she knows the kids are already asleep. Instead, her hands move to my waist, pulling me closer to her. As I'm in my nightie and she's wearing a simple t-shirt, I can easily feel the curves of her body pressing against mine, quickly making me aroused.
"Um… maybe we shouldn't…" I eventually whisper against her lips, feeling hotter and hotter.
"Right." She nods in agreement. "We should know we can't be trusted in a bedroom together…" She sighs.
"Yeah…" I whisper, knowing all too well that it's true. "Well, um… good night?"
"Good night, Britt…" She says, and I hurry to exit the room before I can change mind.
THE NEXT DAY (MONDAY MORNING) – AT BRITTANY'S HOUSE – SANTANA's POV
By the morning, the weather had fortunately gone back to normal. And I'm dressed in the same clothes as yesterday and Brittany's underwear as I make my way to the kitchen, where everyone is already having breakfast, except Sofia. I guess she's taking her car out of the garage.
"Morning…" I say, taking the seat I had for years, between Diego and Gabriel.
"Hi mama…" I hear the boys reply, while Brittany smiles at me.
I don't even have time to say anything before she's already pouring coffee into my mug and fixing me a plate.
"The car is not starting!" Sofia suddenly complains, barging into the kitchen while I'm halfway through my breakfast.
"What, are you sure?" I ask.
"Yes! I think the battery is dead!" She says with despair. "What am I gonna do? You guys both work on Mondays so I can't even borrow one of your cars." She adds, turning to me and Britt. "And I was supposed to drive the twins to school and pick up Charlotte on the way!"
"Okay, okay…" I say, trying to calm her down. "Look, I actually don't have to be at Paramount until 9:45 AM, so I can drive you all, including Charlotte."
"Oh, thanks, mama…" Sofia sighs in relief. "But we should get going." She adds, pointing at the clock on the wall.
"Right." I sigh, getting up. It figures that I wouldn't have the chance to enjoy my morning coffee…
A couple of minutes later, we're all in the hall, ready to leave.
"Diego, did you bring your swimming things?" I ask and judging by the look on his face, it's clear that he didn't take them and didn't even pack them.
"Um… I… I…"
"I swear, if your head was not attached to your shoulders, you'd forget it too!" I sigh in despair.
"Here, buddy…" Brittany says with a smile, handing him his swimming bag.
When the kids were little, I used to nickname Britt 'Supermom' because she was always a step ahead. And here she is, coming to the rescue once again…
"Okay, go get in the car, I'll be there in a minute." I tell the kids, as they kiss Brittany goodbye.
"And that's for you…" Britt says once they're outside, handing me a thermos. "I know how bad you need your morning coffee." She smiles.
I stare at her in disbelief for a couple of seconds, touched by her thoughtful gesture. But why am I even surprised? In addition to a devoted mom, she was also an incredible wife, who always knew what I needed.
And that's when I realize that she gave me a thermos I had not seen in a very long time: the one with "S" and "B" on it, united by a heart shape. This was a gift I gave her years ago, when the twins were babies. I can't believe she kept it all this time…
I quickly look over my shoulder to check if the kids are in the car, and slightly push the door so that I can press my lips on hers without being seen.
"Bye…" I whisper, looking one last time into these blue eyes I love so much.
"Bye…" She replies, smiling at me.
THE NEXT DAY (TUESDAY) – AT PARAMOUNT
"Yeah, she was pretty good during the audition I must say…" I tell Bill as we walk towards the conference room for our next meeting.
"But isn't she already working on another show?" He asks.
"Well, it actually got cancelled and she said she would be free in a couple of…" I trail off once I see Brittany in front of us. "Britt…" I say in surprise.
"Hi!" She smiles.
"Uh… hi…"
"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met…?" She says, holding her hand out to Bill.
"Oh, sorry…" I say. "Brittany, this is Bill, one of our new producers. Bill, this is Brittany, my… uh… my…" I stutter, suddenly realizing that I have no idea how to define Britt to new people.
I can't exactly call her my girlfriend because we haven't discussed this yet and we only had one date after all. But 'ex-wife' won't do it either because it always makes people uncomfortable and it gives the impression the relationship is over, when we are actually starting something new.
"… my best friend." I eventually say but I immediately mentally slap myself for picking that option.
"Oh, how nice!" Bill says, totally oblivious to our special situation. "It's lovely to meet you, Brittany!" He says, shaking her hand.
"The pleasure is mine." She smiles.
"So, uh, Britt… What brings you here?" I ask.
"Well, I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I could invite you for lunch, if you were free?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, but we actually have a lunch meeting in 10 minutes…" I say.
"That's alright… I should have called before barging in here." She shrugs. "I'm sorry…"
"No, no, don't apologize!" I immediately say. "Look, I should actually be done by 2:30 PM today, so… we can meet later for coffee, if you like?"
"Sure!" She smiles. "Just text me the details when you're done." She says, waving goodbye before walking away.
LATER THAT DAY
When I get to the coffee shop, Brittany is already there, sitting on the big couch and sipping her tea.
"Hey…" I say, sitting next to her.
"Hey there, bestie!" She says ironically and I immediately feel bad. I knew she wouldn't like it…
"Yeah, about that, Britt…" I say but I'm cut off by some dude suddenly calling her name.
"Oh my God, Theo!" Britt says in disbelief, before getting up from the couch to hug him.
Theo? From danceathon?!
"Uh, yeah." Theo says while looking at me, and that's when I realize that I have been saying it out loud. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" He asks me.
"Um, no… I'm uh…"
"This is Santana…" Brittany says. "… my b…" She adds but I'm quick to intervene when I understand she's going to say "best friend", probably to get back at me.
"I'm the mother of her children." I hurry to say, cutting her off.
"Oh…" He says. "Oh!" He repeats, apparently realizing that Brittany used to be married to a woman.
"I uh… It's nice to meet you." He eventually tells me, before looking back and forth between me and her.
That's right, fucker. She used to have sex with me.
"Thanks, it's nice to meet you too but um, we were actually in the middle of a conversation here, so… if you don't mind…" I say, trying to get rid of him.
"Right, I'm sorry." He says, before turning to Brittany with apologetic eyes. "I didn't mean to interrupt but… Britt, since you're here, I just wanted to know if you got my message?"
"Um… yeah, I did." She says. "And I'm really flattered but… I'm afraid I'm not interested. I'm sorry…"
"Oh, I… I understand…" He nods, forcing a smile even though he's obviously disappointed. "Well, it was nice seeing you…" He adds, before exiting the coffee shop.
BRITTANY's POV
My eyes are set on Santana as she watches Theo walking away. I'm trying not to smirk but I really enjoyed seeing her jealous just now.
"So, you wanted to talk to me about something, bestie?" I repeat again, to provoke her one more time.
"Okay, I'm sorry, I just panicked!" She shrugs. "It didn't seem we were already at the 'girlfriend' stage and 'ex-wife' just felt wrong, so…" She trails off. "And then, I realized that there were only two things that we have always remained, through good and bad: best friends and co-parents. So, I said 'best friend' to Bill but when I heard myself saying it, it immediately felt too… light." She shrugs. "At least, 'co-parents' does more justice to our history…"
"I guess I just don't really know where we stand right now…" She admits.
"Well…" I say, knowing that I have to be diplomatic here. Not only did I promise her to take it slow but she's clearly not ready for the word 'girlfriend' yet. "We went on a date and we agreed to go on another one soon, so… I guess we're… 'seeing each other'?" I suggest.
"Yeah, okay…" She nods. "We're seeing each other." She repeats with a smile.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (THURSDAY) – AT BRITTANY'S HOUSE
Since the kids have many after-school activities on Thursdays, Santana and I decided to meet at my house, to hang out just the two of us. We were supposed to watch a movie together - until it was time to pick up our kids - but somehow, things heated up and we ended up making out on the couch…
It's quite ironic because when we were teenagers, we used to make out behind our parents' back. And I remember that back then, I couldn't wait to be a grown up so that I could finally make out with my girl whenever I wanted to. But now, we're back to hiding – this time, from our kids. I'm not complaining though, because just like when I was a teenager, I'm completely addicted to her lips. And God knows I love when she's laying on top of my body like this.
As our tongues dance together, my hands slide under her shirt and my fingers slowly run along her back. Even though I eventually reach the waistband of her pants, I don't stop there and my hands sneak under her panties, earning a moan from her as I start caressing her bare ass.
Our kissing intensifies, and I feel her hands roaming all over my body, until she abruptly sits up.
"Okay…" She whispers out of breath. "We have to stop, because this… this is the opposite of taking things slow, Brittany!"
"Right…" I say, trying to catch my breath as well. "I um… maybe we should place some pillows between us?" I suggest, not knowing how else I could keep my hands off her body.
"Yeah, I think we should." She nods.
LATER – IN THE LIVING ROOM
Even though we behaved for quite a while, Santana and I eventually got back to making out, and it's even hotter than earlier! But this time, I know I have to be more subtle and only keep my hands over her clothes if I want this to last. Fortunately, she doesn't protest when I start caressing her boob.
Meanwhile, her hand slowly moves up and down my thigh, before landing on my ass. We're both moaning inside each other's mouth when she unfortunately pulls away again.
"God, how does this keep happening?!" She sighs in despair.
"Well… I…" I trail off, before taking a deep breath. "Maybe we should just stop denying the obvious, San… We clearly want each other…" I shrug.
"I know but… I really don't want to fuck this up, Britt…" She says, with a concerned look.
"I don't want that either but… I think it's actually going pretty well between us! Don't you?"
"Yes, but maybe the reason it's going so well is because we're taking our time!" She argues. "I just… I need us not to rush this."
"Okay… we won't." I nod in agreement.
"And I'm really sorry…" She suddenly adds, looking down.
"What for?"
"Well, for making you date someone who won't even put out…"
"I'm okay with waiting, San… really." I nod.
"Right." She says, clearly not believing me.
"I am!" I repeat but she still looks doubtful. "Okay, listen… I admit I am a little sexually frustrated right now but… I know it's worth the wait." I add in a sure voice, squeezing her hand.
It's not like Santana to hold off sex but I'm very aware that if she's doing it, it's because she's terrified to let her guard down.
"I want you to be comfortable." I say, looking into her eyes. "And I also want this to work. So badly. So, if moving slow is what it takes to get there, then it's what we're going to do." I add, bringing her hand to my lips, and she eventually nods.
"But in the meantime, I have a proposal for you…" I say, apparently sparking her curiosity. "There is a charity dinner in Newport Beach this Saturday. And it's a long story, but I was invited. So, I was wondering if you would like to go with me, as my date?"
"I would love to." She immediately says with a smile.
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (SATURDAY EVENING) – IN NEWPORT BEACH
"Wow… this place looks great!" Santana says, looking around.
"Right?" I nod in agreement. "But you know what the best part about tonight is? We don't have to hide because no one knows us here!" I say, before placing a kiss on her lips, right there in the open.
"So, I can do this?" She asks, grabbing my hand in hers, to intertwine our fingers.
"Oh, it's even encouraged." I nod enthusiastically, making her smile.
"Shall we go find our table?" I suggest, gently pulling her by the hand.
LATER THAT NIGHT – SANTANA's POV
After a delicious meal, the host is now explaining how the money raised tonight will be used. But I get distracted once I feel Brittany's fingers drawing patterns on my bare thigh, under the table. I instinctively turn to her and she immediately smiles at me, with eyes full of love.
It's crazy to think that a few weeks ago, we were still dating other people and yet, being with her tonight feels so right… like I'm where I'm supposed to be.
"Will you grant me a dance?" She suddenly asks, once the host is done talking.
"Sure." I nod, following her to the dance floor, where we find ourselves surrounded by couples swaying to the slow and romantic music.
Brittany places a hand on the small of my back, to pull me closer to her, while I wrap my arms around her neck, and I can immediately feel the warmth of her body through the thin fabric of my dress. Her perfect blue eyes are locked with mine as we start moving slowly together, to the rhythm of the music. After a minute, I'm feeling so relaxed that I dare to rest my head on her shoulders, closing my eyes and letting myself drown in her sweet scent. I wish this moment would never end…
The songs follow each other but we remain on the dance floor, enjoying our tight embrace. As our eyes meet again, I feel such a rush of love and desire that I can't resist the urge to kiss her. Tender at first, she progressively deepens our kiss, her tongue caressing mine.
Gasping for air, I eventually pull away and find myself panting while she gently rests her forehead on mine, our bodies still pressed against each other.
EVEN LATER THAT NIGHT
On my way back from the restroom, I spot a middle-aged man sitting at our table, talking to Brittany. Who the fuck is that?!
"Hello, I'm Santana."
"Hi! I'm David." He says, looking me up and down, his eyes lingering a little too long on my body. "My God, I don't think I have ever seen this many beautiful women in the same room." He smiles, looking at both of us.
Right, so hitting on Brittany was not enough? He has to flirt with me as well?!
"It's nice to meet you, David." I lie. "Thank you for entertaining my girlfriend in my absence."
"Girlfriend…?" He mumbles, obviously confused.
"I hope I was not too long, honey…" I say, placing my hand on top of Brittany's, before pressing my lips on hers.
"Well, uh… I hope you ladies enjoy the rest of your night." David says, clearly embarrassed, before walking away.
"So… 'girlfriend', uh?" Brittany asks me.
"Yes. Girlfriend." I confirm after a second, in a sure voice. "But since I'm not a sharer, we'll have to be exclusive." I warn. "So… um… what do you say?" I ask timidly.
"Oh, I'm so in." She smiles, leaning in to kiss my lips.
A/N: What did you think of this chapter? I hope you liked it! Please let me know in the reviews :-) I think I will write one more chapter after this one and it should be the end of the story. But I'm also considering adding some sort of epilogue afterwards. I will see how it goes :-) If there is something you would want me to include in the story, now is the time to ask for it! Of course, I can't promise I will necessarily follow all suggestions but I'm willing to consider them :-) Thank you for reading and for your comments!