Chapter 18
(Beca & Chloe)
Chloe was super glad Aubrey had gone shopping with her when she had. She had been wracking her brain about what to wear that would look good as well as reflect well on Beca. The cut of the new dress was tasteful but flattering, and she had bought new flats so Beca wouldn’t look any shorter. The ginger was eager to see Beca’s expression when she saw it.
It was the Friday before the party and Beca had had a long week at work filling in for a producer who had the flu. Chloe had a candlelight dinner set up when she got home and came looking for her. “What’s all this?” the musician asked, setting her bag down.
“You had a hard week, so I wanted to do something nice but relaxing to start the weekend.” She pulled out Beca’s customary chair with a grin. “Dinner is served.”
Returning the grin, Beca sat, happy to sip the wine that was already poured. Chloe brought over two plates of roast chicken and potatoes and dinner rolls and took her own seat. Beca dug in happily, grateful her partner had put in so much effort instead of defaulting to a restaurant. Going out was nice, but even a simple meal at home held more meaning. She reached to cover Chloe’s hand. “Thank you, Chlo. Dinner was delicious.” She leaned close for a kiss.
“I’m glad you like it, it’s a new recipe. Well, new to me; I got it from Bree at lunch yesterday.” She and Aubrey had finally landed on Thursday afternoons for hanging out.
“Then I’ll have to thank her, too.” Beca sat back with her wine. “So Thursday is working so far?”
Chloe chuckled. “We’ve had exactly one Thursday afternoon. It’s a bit early to know if it works. If not, we’ll find something else to try.” The ginger stood and held out her hand. “Come on. I set up the living room, too.” Mystified, Beca took her hand and followed.
The room was dim, lit mostly by a floor lamp in a far corner. The coffee table was shifted, making room for the large nest of blankets and pillows on the floor in front of the couch. “Cozy, comfortable, near the kitchen and TV.” Chloe turned to Beca. “Want to change and settle in?”
Beca smiled and collected a soft, lingering kiss. “This is so adorably sweet, babe. Yeah, let’s get comfy.” They went into the bedroom long enough to change into oversized t-shirts, expecting the blankets to keep them warm. Back in the living room, they propped pillows against the couch to lean against, a throw blanket over each of their legs.
Sitting back, Beca caught Chloe’s hand and drew her down to sit in front of her. Chloe leaned back on her partner, resting her arms over Beca’s around her waist. “Music?” she offered, holding up her phone.
“Actually, TV would be great to start with. I’ve just had to work with a lot of music this week and I need a break.” Chloe nodded and handed her the remote instead. They flipped channels for a bit, finally landing on Bake Off. Beca didn’t bake, but it was still fun to pick a favorite competitor and judge the desserts as they were presented.
Around 10, Chloe turned down the volume during a commercial. “I had an idea, but it’s totally okay if we decide against it.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Well, a pet. A cat, specifically. Much as I didn’t want to be a vet, I still miss playing with animals.” Chloe slipped her hand into Beca’s, lacing their fingers.
Beca contemplated. She liked cats well enough, and Chloe would have at least a little company during the day. She could easily imagine watching TV with a cat in her lap, or waking up to it begging for food. She smiled. “I love that idea. We can shop for supplied in the morning and visit some adoption spots in the afternoon. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect! Becs, this is gonna be awesome. A furry little addition to the family.” She kissed her cheek and leaned her head on her shoulder. “I love you, Becs. So much more than I knew I could.” Her voice had gotten quiet.
Beca kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too, Chlo. You are all I could have dreamed of and more.” She squeezed the redhead’s hand. She could no longer envision doing life without Chloe Beale at her side. Or, for that matter, without Aubrey and Emily walking their path nearby.
As they turned off the TV and headed for bed, they tossed around potential names for their soon-to-be pet, Beca stating she’d like the name to be somehow musical.
Chloe was first awake, Beca having rolled onto her stomach in the night. Since they had plans, she skillfully slid out of bed and went to start the coffee pot. Turning the radio on low, she hummed and danced a bit as she waited for coffee and her partner.
When the coffee was done, she went to pour two cups, intending to bring one to Beca, then turned as Beca walked in. The ginger sat with both mugs so Beca could sit in her lap. She kept humming with the radio, but otherwise stayed quiet so Beca could start waking up at her own pace. Sure, they had plans, but no schedule to meet, so they could take their time.
Halfway through her coffee, Beca asked, “I’m assuming you know where to go to adopt a cat?”
“Yeah, we’ll just start with the closest shelter and keep going till we find one who seems a good match.” Chloe combed her fingers through Beca’s soft hair.
“Alright, sounds like a plan. Should we make a list of what we need in the way of supplied?” Beca got up to refill her mug and pulled a notepad and pen from the junk drawer. Resuming her seat, she wrote as Chloe listed off the basics, then a shorter list of possible extra stuff. “We’ll have to come back and set up before we head for the shelters,” she observed as she surveyed the list.
Chloe nodded. “Best to have the apartment ready so they can get used to it.” She and Beca both finished their coffee and set about getting ready.
They took their time at the pet store, working their way down the list that covered everything from a litter box to toys. Back at the apartment, they both worked on setting up and finding homes for new items in various rooms. “Okay, so. It’s 11:30. Shall we eat something before we go?” Beca asked.
“You bet,” Chloe replied. “I’ll make sandwiches.” They went into the kitchen, talking common cat behavior as Chloe brought her time as a vet tech to the fore to give her partner all the information she had.
The first two shelters were a bust, but the third had a lot of cats. They took their time, trying to interact with each one who showed interest in them. Then, at almost the same time, they each found a cat they seemed to click with. Chloe had found a large, solid orange boy and Beca had found a delicate-looking black cat who was falling over herself for scritches. They looked over at each other, and both knew they were taking home twice as many cats as planned.
While Chloe took care of the paperwork, Beca went to the car to get the new cat carrier. Chloe managed to borrow a second carrier, promising to have it back to the shelter soon. With each cat settled, they headed home.
As they drove, they tested out names, finally settling on Lyric for the orange and Melody for the black. Chloe kept an eye on them, occasionally slipping a treat into each carrier to keep them calm.
When they got home, they placed the carriers in the living room close enough together that Lyric and Melody could safely check each other out for a bit under their careful supervision. When there was no untoward behavior for half an hour, they opened the carriers to let them roam at their own pace, relaxing on the couch to watch, treats nearby.
“They certainly seem to get along fine,” Beca commented, leaning down to offer a treat to Melody when she came by. She happily took the treat, then jumped up on the arm of the couch. Beca gently scratched between her ears, and she started purring.
Chloe chuckled. “She really likes that, huh? Gotta love an affectionate cat.” Lyric chose that moment to walk across her lap, looking for his treat, which she readily handed over. He promptly curled up in her lap, purring like a thunderstorm and making her laugh as she pet him. “Make that two affectionate cats, which is twice as nice.”
The new cat parents spent the afternoon just watching and talking, until Chloe decided it was time to cook. “I’ll feed them first,” she said as she stood.
“I’ll do that, you worry about our food,” Beca offered. Cats meant more chores, which meant more ways for her to help out at home. They went into the kitchen, where Chloe started prepping for tacos while Beca opened two cans of food and put down a bowl for each cat, which they were quick to dig into, much to her amusement. She interrupted Chloe’s work for a kiss. “This was an inspired idea, Chlo. I love them already.”
Chloe grinned. “Me, too. And you look adorable with a cat in your lap.”
Beca blushed as she mixed a pitcher of margaritas to go with dinner. She hadn’t grown up with her own pets, but had spent time with friends’ pets and appreciated the companionship they could provide. She had a feeling Chloe would appreciate that while Beca was at work all day. Putting the pitcher in the fridge to chill till dinner, she looked down as Lyric wound himself around and through her legs. She laughed. “Don’t get stepped on, buddy. And please don’t trip me.” He meowed as if in response before wandering off to explore the apartment. Beca collected the food bowls and washed them, then poured out some dry food for them to snack on at will and topped off the water dish.
Chloe watched her subtly and lovingly. She should have known her partner would be a softie with pets, but it was really nice to watch it in action. “Why not grab one of the toys in the living room and see if they’ll play with you. Though,” she added, before Beca could answer, “maybe save the laser pointer for when they’re more settled.” Beca nodded her understanding and headed for the other room.
Once dinner was eaten and cleaned up, they both returned to the couch, Beca lounging against the arm with Chloe leaning back against her. The ginger held her phone, camera at the ready for any cute pictures that presented themselves. They chatted about the upcoming party, Melody lying on the coffee table and Lyric curled up next to Chloe’s feet.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Chloe said as she took pictures of each cat. “I get to go to a music industry party with one of the label’s up-and-coming artists and look damn good doing it.”
Beca kissed the back of her neck. “You look damn good sitting right here, babe,” she murmured.
Chloe turned her head a bit to look at her. “Becs… did you not wanna go next week? You don’t sound very enthused about it.”
“No, Chlo, it’s not that I don’t want to go. I just don’t know what to expect at this shindig. I haven’t met everyone at the label, and I want to make a good impression on those I haven’t met yet. I guess I’m just a bit nervous about it. I don’t want…” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to embarrass you in front of all those people. You know I can be socially awkward in large crowds. Hood night parties are the biggest I’ve been to, and I mostly knew everyone. This will be exponentially bigger.” Chloe could hear the nerves in her voice now that she was talking about it.
Careful not to kick Lyric, Chloe turned to face her partner. “Beca, I could never be embarrassed of you. You’re the most talented, impressive person I know. You may not be a social butterfly, but you can hold a conversation, you’re intelligent, and you’re easy to talk to. Anyone who can’t appreciate that doesn’t deserve your consideration. I don’t care what they think about me.”
Beca nodded and set her margarita aside. She reached for Chloe, who twined their fingers with a small encouraging smile. “Thank you, love. You always know what to say.” She kissed Chloe’s hand. Just then, Beca’s phone went off with an email, and she sighed as she picked it up. She muttered under her breath as she read it, then set it aside, laying her head back.
“Everything okay?”
“The label wants me to meet a new songwriter and see if we can work together.”
“That doesn’t sound bad.”
Beca lifted her head to look at her. “In Vegas.”
“Oh! Oh, okay. For how long?” Chloe had a sinking feeling she wouldn’t like the answer.
“A week,” Beca sighed. She didn’t like it either.
Chloe nodded and leaned against her partner again, who wrapped an arm around her tightly. She made up her mind not to let Beca see how much she was dreading a week alone. She couldn’t be selfish and stand in the way of Beca’s career. So she closed her eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of Beca’s heartbeat.
Beca stroked her hair. Chloe didn’t have to say anything for Beca to know how she felt about this trip; her distress was radiating from her even as she tried to hide it. “Baby, I’m sorry…”
“No, it’s okay. It’s work. It’s important.”
“Hey,” she said softly, tilting Chloe face up to look at her. “You’re important. I hate the idea of being away from you. I’m gonna find a way around this. There has to be a better solution.”
Chloe looked up into deep blue eyes. “Becs?”
“Yeah, Chlo?”
“Kiss me?” She wanted to concentrate on having Beca here now instead of thinking about the trip.
Beca drew her into a long, deep kiss, willing to do whatever she could to help her partner in the face of a long separation.