Chapter 4
When Chloe emerged to make coffee the next morning, she was surprised to see Aubrey at the table. It was only seven, and by all rights, they’d had enough to drink that neither should be fully functional yet. “Bree?” she asked through a yawn. “Are you okay? How long have you been up?”
“Not long,” Aubrey replied. “My head is pounding and I couldn’t sleep anymore.”
The ginger got the Advil out of the cabinet for her, then started the coffee maker. “How was the couch? And you didn’t tell me if you’re okay.”
“Couch was good. Rather comfy for a couch, really. And… I don’t know yet. Everything looks like it’s going my way, but it also feels very fast. And I can’t decide my next move before I see how this morning goes.”
Chloe poured them coffee and sat down. “How was the dance?” she asked with a warm smile.
“God, Chlo, I can’t stop thinking about it. Not just the dance, which was divine, but that she asked me in the first place.” She looked at Chloe over her mug. “If either of you gets the chance to gauge where things stand, that’d be great. If she’s not interested, I’d rather fade into the background than pour my heart out.”
The redhead nodded. “We’ll see what we can find out without tipping our hand.” They heard a bedroom door open and fell silent. Moments later, Emily walked in wearing the clothes Aubrey had left for her. She waved vaguely as she made a beeline to the coffee and the mugs Chloe had left out. When she sat next to Aubrey, Chloe got up and started a fresh pot.
“Morning, Em,” Aubrey greeted her quietly after she’d had a few sips of coffee and a couple Advil. “How’d you sleep?”
Emily gave her a sleepy smile. “I slept like a rock.” She gestured at the shirt. “Thanks for the loan. I wasn’t anticipating staying.”
“No problem. I always pack way too much. Comes in handy sometimes.” She returned the smile as Chloe sat.
“Was the couch okay?” the younger woman asked. “I really hope you got a good night’s sleep.”
The blonde chuckled. “It was more than okay. Better than the bed I got freshman year.” They all laughed quietly at that, all knowing what college beds could be like.
Beca soon joined them, and by the time she finished her first coffee, everyone was hungry. Chloe got up to cook, steadfastly turning down Aubrey’s offer to help. “Still a guest, Bree. I promised a good hangover breakfast. Does French toast and ham sound good?” They vehemently agreed, to her amusement, and she set about cooking.
“So, Bree, do you have anywhere to be today?” Beca asked.
Aubrey shook her head. “No other plans this weekend.”
Beca nodded and turned her eyes to Emily, who also had no plans. “Excellent. How does a picnic in a park sound for lunch?” She saw them glance at each other before they both agreed. “Awesome. Great weekend with great friends.” She grinned across the table at them as Chloe started setting out silverware, butter, and syrup while the ham cooked.
“We’ll get sandwiches from somewhere,” the ginger informed them. “I don’t have sandwich stuff in just now.” She returned to the stove to finish breakfast.
After the meal, Beca went in the living room to strip the couch while Chloe did dishes and their guests brought lattes out to the loveseat. She heard Aubrey ask about Emily’s new music, and listened silently as the younger woman tried to describe them.
“It would be much easier to play them for you.”
“What do you play?” Aubrey asked curiously.
“Guitar and piano. As soon as I started showing real interest in music, my parents got me whatever lessons I asked for.”
“Could you sing them without music?” Beca suggested.
“I, uh, yeah, I guess I could. But later on, okay? It’s still kinda early for singing.”
Aubrey smiled. “Whenever you want. No rush or pressure.”
Chloe joined them with lattes for herself and Beca. “No pressure for what?” Beca filled her in, and the ginger grinned. This was going even better than she’d hoped it would. Beca’s picnic idea had been genius.
Emily asked Beca if she had been working on anything in her free time. “Do you still mix for yourself, now that you’re signed?”
“Well, I’ve only recorded some backup vocals so far. I’ve worked on a few pieces for other artists, but they’re still looking for stuff for me.” She paused. “Sometime soon, you’ll come back with your guitar and we’ll see what I can manage on my equipment. If that’s not good enough, I’ll borrow a booth.”
“Wait, you were serious about getting the label to hire me? I thought you were just being nice.” Emily’s eyes were wide with surprise.
Beca laughed. “Yes, I’m serious. I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t think you had the talent. Remember, I’ve worked with your music before.”
Emily blushed. “All this after one song?”
Aubrey placed a hand on Emily’s knee. “One song was enough. Your talent is blindingly obvious to anyone who knows music.” Emily hid behind her latte, but didn’t pull away from Aubrey.
Chloe changed the topic to rescue Emily, and they talked over lattes till noon. “Alright, picnic time. Becs, did you have a specific park in mind?”
“There’s a smallish one a few blocks away with picnic tables. I figured we could walk it instead of driving all over the city.”
The ginger considered. “Okay, there’s a deli the opposite way. I can go pick up sandwiches and meet you there.”
“No way!” Aubrey protested. “I’ll walk with you and we’ll meet back here to head to the park.”
Chloe laughed and gave in. “Alright, we’ll do it that way. But we should get moving.” She headed to the bedroom to change while Aubrey did the same in the guest room. Beca and Emily wrote down what they wanted, and Chloe claimed a soft, lingering kiss from her partner before they left.
They been gone all of two minutes when Emily leaned forward on the loveseat. “How did you know you had feelings for Chloe?”
Beca smiled. “Well, we were best friends for seven years first. But I guess a big part of it was the way she makes me feel in general. She understands me, supports me, sees me for who I am. However, it works differently for everyone. What do they make you feel?”
“Special, like they’ve found someone unique and set their mind to build something with me. And seemingly endlessly supported.” Emily kept her eyes on the latte still in her hands.
“And as for attraction and chemistry?” Beca urged.
“Oh, in spades! I mean, they don’t even know what I’m thinking about, but… there’s something there. Attraction, yes, but not just physical. They fascinate me in a way I’ve never felt before.”
“Do you want my advice?” Emily nodded emphatically. “Explore it. It doesn’t have to start with grand gestures. Talk to them, listen to them, share with them. Spend time.” She smiled. “You might even attempt to hold hands if the moment feels right. Trust your gut, and remember your friends are a phone call away.”
Emily nodded thoughtfully and sipped her coffee. She could do that. She might not have a seven year head start, but seven years could see a lot of progress from this weekend. Better late than never. Twenty minutes later, Chloe texted they were almost back, and Beca and Emily changed and went out to meet them.
Outside, as they waited, Aubrey shifted restlessly. “I hope Beca got at least a small sign one way or the other.” Her phone went off and she pulled it out to find a cryptic text from Beca, which she read to Chloe. “Stay the course. What is that supposed to mean?”
Chloe smiled. “I think it means don’t give up. Which means she thinks there’s enough hipe to make it worthwhile.”
“Oh. Oh! Wow. Okay. Uhm, now what, Chlo? I’m horrible at this.” Aubrey stuffed her phone back in her pocket.
Chloe saw her partner and their friend crossing the parking lot. “Just keep being you. And if you like something specific, tell her, even if you want to wait till we can’t hear you. You’re doing great, Bree.” That’s all she had time for before Beca and Emily were close enough to hear.
Beca gaped at the large paper bags they each carried. “Jesus, Chlo, did you bring the whole deli?”
They laughed. “I didn’t know how long we’d be out, so I got extra sodas and snacks just in case. C’mon, the smell of them making sandwiches made me hungry.” She slipped her free hand into Beca’s and they started walking. Despite Chloe’s appetite, they didn’t rush, and could hear that Aubrey and Emily were talking quietly behind them.
The park wasn’t huge, and there were people at a few tables, but there were plenty of other tables to choose from, which they did at random. Chloe and Aubrey started handing out drinks and sandwiches, then moved the bags to the ends of the benches and sat to eat.
Aubrey launched them into a conversation about food, ostensibly to get new ideas, but really geared towards finding out what Emily liked and disliked. She seemed to be a fan of Italian food in particular, but also perked up at the notion of several other dishes as they talked, often commenting that a particular meal sounded delicious. Aubrey kept a mental list so she would remember.
By the time they finished their sandwiches, the rest of the park had cleared out. Emily looked around to make sure, then turned to her friends. “Alright, while the park is empty, who wants a song?” They all cheered and she had to calm them before clearing her throat and starting.
What are we fighting for?/ Seems like we do it just for fun/ In this, this stupid war/ We play hard with our plastic guns/ Breathe deep, bottle it up/ So deep until it's all we got/ Don't speak, just use your touch/ Don't speak before we say too much/ You hate me now and I feel the same way/ You love me now and I feel the same way/ Scream and we shout/ And make up the same day, the same day/ Oh, we're on the right side of rock bottom/ And I hope that we keep falling/ We're on the good side of bad karma/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more/ We're on the right side of rock bottom/ And to you, I just keep crawling/ You're the best kind of bad something/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more/ You get under my skin/ More than anyone's ever been/ But when we lay in bed/ You hold me harder 'til I forget/ That you hate me now and I feel the same way/ You love me now and I feel the same way/ Scream and we shout/ And make up the same day, the same day/ Oh, we're on the right side of rock bottom/ And I hope that we keep falling/ We're on the good side of bad karma/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more/ We're on the right side of rock bottom/ And to you, I just keep crawling/ You're the best kind of bad something/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more/ Keep on coming back for more/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more/ Oh, what are we fighting for?/ Seems like we do it just for fun/ In this, this stupid war/ We play hard with our plastic guns/ Oh, we're on the right side of rock bottom/ And I hope that we keep falling/ We're on the good side of bad karma/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more/ We're on the right side of rock bottom/ And to you, I just keep crawling/ You're the best kind of bad something/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more/ We keep on coming back for more/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more/ We keep on coming back for more/ 'Cause we keep on coming back for more
Beca, Chloe, and Aubrey listened intently, then cheered again at the end. “Emily, that is fabulous. We may just start with that one,” Beca declared.
“Well, it’s still a little rough, but sure.” She fidgeted with the tab on her soda can.
“Don’t worry, we’ll polish it up. Remember I was a producer before I got signed. I’ll see it gets proper treatment.”
Aubrey rested a hand on Emily’s. “If you can trust anyone, it’s Beca.”
Emily smiled brightly at her as she turned her hand to lace their fingers. “Of course. I trust all three of you. A great deal, in fact.” Aubrey gave her a radiant smile in return, and Chloe gripped Beca’s knee under the table to contain her glee at Emily’s move. They snacked and hung out for a couple hours, Emily’s hand staying in Aubrey’s until the younger woman sighed and said, “I should get going. I haven’t finished unpacking, and I have a feeling more music is coming, too.”
Walking back to the apartment, Aubrey and Emily, still hand in hand, hung back a bit behind their hosts. Chloe could tell they were talking, but couldn’t tell what about. Ultimately, she didn’t care as long as they weren’t fighting, because everything looked to be going well. She looked over at Beca. “Ten bucks says Bree drives Em home.”
Beca snorted. “No dice, that’s almost guaranteed, I think.” Chloe laughed and Beca squeezed her hand. “We should save the post-game analysis for after they leave.”
Chloe nodded as they turned into the parking lot. They waited at the doors for their guests, who had managed to fall a few minutes behind, which Chloe saw as stalling, also a good sign.
“I’m gonna drive Em home,” Aubrey said when they caught up. “It’s a couple hours for me, so I should get started.” She didn’t release Emily’s hand until Chloe and Beca moved in for hugs from both of them.
“Thanks for coming,” Chloe told them. “We had a blast. We have to do this again.”
“We hope you guys had fun,” Beca added.
Emily glanced at Aubrey before answering, “I definitely had a great time. And I think we’ll certainly have more weekends.” Aubrey echoed the sentiment, and they headed towards Aubrey’s car, holding hands again.
They were barely inside their apartment before Chloe was jumping and clapping with glee. “Oh my god, Beca, I think we did it! What the hell did she say that you sent that text?” Beca outlined her conversation with Emily.
“So while I had no way of knowing for sure who she was talking about, I figured it was sound advice regardless.”
“It was,” Chloe agreed. “And you must have said it the right way, because she seems to be taking it to heart. You did a great thing today.” She drew Beca into a soft, lingering kiss.
“I like to think we did a great thing, together.”
“The way it should be.”