Compromise
Leighton is looking at Tatum who is looking at Stacey who is also looking at Tatum.
Tatum snaps out of her frozen stance and holds Leighton’s hand tighter.
T: Stacey, what the hell are you doing here?
Leighton lets go of Tatum’s hand: Tatum what is she doing here?
Tatum turns to Leighton: Baby, I had no clue she was going to be here. Leighton, look at me…I didn’t know.
Stacey turns to Leighton: Relax, little girl. Tatum didn’t know I was coming, she’s telling you the truth. She looks back towards Tatum: So this is the girl that has you all out of sorts?
Tatum’s jaw clenches.
Stacey looks at Leighton: Well, you sure are pretty, I can see why Tatum likes you. Looks back at Tatum: She’s kind of young though, T?
T: Stacey, I’m sorry I forgot to call you. I…
Leighton couldn’t hold it in any longer: We saw your text the other night. Why are you texting my girlfriend that late?
Stacey looks taken aback: I didn’t realize you weren’t single anymore, T until I spoke with Maddie. Looks back at Leighton: Aren’t you the one who dumped her over a piece of pottery?
Leighton and Tatum look at each other.
L: Why Tatum and I broke up and are now back together is not any of your damn business.
S: You’re right, I apologize. Turns back to Tatum: When she leaves you over something trivial again, you know where to find me.
Tatum stays silent as she watches Stacey disappear into the night.
She looks back at Leighton who is eyeing her.
T: What?
L: Nothing.
T: Don’t pull that “nothing” shit. Talk to me.
Leighton sighs: Tatum, I want this to work. I adore you but I can’t be looking over my shoulder every time a pretty girl walks by and there’s like a 40% chance you’ve dated her.
Tatum: What do you want me to do?
L: I’m not sure you can do anything, babe. This is something I have to work on, I’m still new to all of this. I have slept with a lot of girls but only have had relationships with you and Alicia.
Tatum frowned when she heard Alicia’s name.
Tatum: What are you gonna do now? Look for an excuse to get rid of me so you can…
Leighton grabs Tatum and kisses her before she can finish what she was about to say.
Tatum grabs her by the waist and pulls her close. They are in a deep embrace on the sidewalk when a voice interrupts them.
“Murray and ******, I know my favorite Targaryen’s heads anywhere even though I don’t know which of you bitches is who!”
Tatum and Leighton let go of one another and see Lila and her new boyfriend standing there staring at them. The boyfriend has a smile the size of Texas on his face. Lila catches him.
Lila: Close your mouth Christopher, act like you have some sense and leave them be.
Leighton smiles and hugs Lila: I haven’t seen you in forever.
Lila: I had to go find myself and also a man after I stopped working with coffee. Bitch, I was overwhelmed!
Tatum politely steps back as Leighton and Lila converse. Leighton grabs Tatum’s hand to let her know she’s with her. Tatum glares at Christopher who smirks at her.
After about ten minutes, Tatum can’t do it anymore and reminds Leighton, politely, that they have reservations and need to go in and eat.
Lila: Oh my bad, honey. We were going to eat in here too but you two look like you need to be alone. Leighton, girl, I’ll see you soon.
Lila whispers into Tatum’s ear: Do right by her, please. It’s wild to see two blonde bitches together in a non porny way but fuck it, you do you.
Tatum giggles and nods at Lila.
Leighton looks at Tatum: What did she say?
Tatum smiles: That’ll stay between us.
The host at the front walks the ladies to their table. Tatum pulls out the chair for Leighton and then sits down next to her.
Tatum orders a bottle of red wine. After the server leaves, Tatum asks jokingly why Leighton never gets carded even though she’s 19.
L: The last name goes a long way around these parts.
T: I guess so.
L: They didn’t card you either.
T: Guess my last name does too.
They both chuckle.
Tatum turns serious: I want this to work too. I wish I could calm your fears about my past experiences but I can’t help certain things.
Leighton puts their foreheads together: I know. But I think this Stacey is going to be a problem.
T: I could talk to Pete about her behavior. This isn’t the first time she’s followed me while on a date.
L: Oh?
T: She did it to me and Brandi too. I was with her less than three weeks total but her possessive tendencies is why we stopped dating.
L: Maybe you could talk to Pete. I don’t want to have to worry about our safety.
T: I’m not going to let anything happen to you.
L: I know but still…
T: okay I’ll call him first thing in the morning.
L: I want to ask you something…
T: Shoot…
L: I want you to come to the center with me when a safe sex speaker comes…
T: Why?
L: I think it’s important we all know what’s going on out there. Raise awareness.
T: Since we started trying again, I’ve only been having sex with you but that was five days ago.
Leighton giggles.
L: And I’m only having sex with you but babe we haven’t always been smart.
The server returns to drop off the wine and take their orders.
L: We haven’t always used protection.
T: Why would we be using it now?
L: We don’t have to now cause I’m assuming we’re monogamous…
Tatum nods in agreement.
L: Now we need for our girls and gays to know, STIs are out there…I know it all too well.
Tatum looks at her with a sad smile.
T: Babe, I don’t know…that center just isn’t for me.
L: You just told me you want this to work.
T: I do.
L: Then I need this from you…
Tatum starts to protest but it’s futile.
Tatum in barely a whisper: Okay.
Leighton smiles: Thank you, baby.
Tatum smiles back.
After dinner, the two head for a walk down by the water to watch the waves crash. They stare and listen in comfortable silence. Tatum wraps her arms around Leighton and kisses her neck. Leighton takes her right arm and caresses Tatum’s right side of her neck.
L: That feels good, you know what you’re doing!
T: I just might…
L: Babe…
T: Yes?
L: Will we make it after you graduate?
Tatum holds her tighter.
T: I don’t know, honestly. If you had told me two months ago, you’d be in my arms by the water, I wouldn’t have believed you.
Leighton laughs and nods: Me neither.
T: Why did you break up with me and why did you say what we had in common are things you wanted to change about yourself?
It’s the first time Leighton has ever seen Tatum show vulnerability with her.
Leighton turns to face her: There are things about both of our attitudes that I don’t like and I do want to change. I don’t want to be the snobby rich girl. Entitled and arrogant.
T: We’ll always be wealthy, babe, that’s not going to change.
L: But do we have to hold it over everybody’s head?
Tatum’s irritation rises: Is this some kind of guilt thing? Cause if that’s what they’re teaching you at that center, you can keep it.
L: No! Babe, come on, drop your wall down, it’s me.
Leighton kisses Tatum to relax her.
Tatum: You want me to be quiet don’t you?
Leighton eyes her up and down.
L: It’s not about guilt, it’s about seeing a different perspective of the world. A non wealthy, underprivileged world. These are the people that get made fun of or ridiculed because of how they look or act. You were one of the people who made fun of them…just like I did when I got there the first time.
Tatum furls her eyebrows and stops holding Leighton: So you reacted the same way but you broke up with me for reacting the way you reacted? This is some wild shit, babe.
Leighton laughs uncomfortably: Yeah…not either of our finest moments.
T: Leighton, I’m sorry. I didn’t know the place meant so much to you. You never said a word to me.
L: And that’s my fault. I should have warned you. I was just so happy with you and I wanted to show you a place that had a positive effect on me.
Tatum looks down guiltily: And my reaction hurt your feelings?
Leighton nods: After you left, I thought you just went to blow off some steam. I kept hoping you would come back.
T: That wasn’t happening. I just went to have a drink with…
L: Stacey?
Tatum looks sheepish: Yeah. And then you texted me a couple of hours later stating we were over. And we both know the rest of the saga.
L: Did you sleep with her that night, Tatum?
T: Not that night, no. Maybe a night or two later.
Leighton raises her eyebrows.
L: You work fast.
T: I’ve known her for a while but we weren’t lovers long. It’s never been serious.
L: Well, she thinks differently. She’s obsessed. I’d feel sorry for her if I wasn’t dating you.
T: I will talk to her and shut it down. I’ll talk to Pete too.
They gather their things and head to the car.
T: Tatum starts rubbing Leighton’s leg as they get in the car: my place or yours?
Leighton smiles broadly: If I go to your place, we both know what’s going to happen. We’re doing good. Just one more week.
T: Mmm-hmm. Okay, I’ll drop you off.
They arrive on campus and Tatum walks Leighton to her place.
L: Oh, you left your shoes here.
Kimberly comes out of nowhere.
K: Hey you two!
L: Hi Kim
T: Hello Kimberly.
K: you both look beautiful.
Tatum and Leighton in unison: Thank you.
Canaan appears out of Kimberly’s bedroom looking guilty.
C: H-h-hey Leighton. What’s up T?
Tatum gets ready to respond since she knows Canaan because jocks who are friends with jocks are friends with Canaan but Leighton grabs her arm and leads into the room before she can so she says: Hey there Canaan.
Leighton closes the door: You know him?
T: I know a lot of people, babe. What’s going on?
L: He used to date Whitney. Then Whitney caught Kimberly and Canaan kissing.
T: There’s a lot going on here. Whitney’s a sweetheart.
Leighton starts undressing Tatum: It’s too late at night for you to drive back. A pair of your pajamas are here.
Tatum laughs: babe, it’s only fifteen minutes away. Aren’t we too loud, that’s why you never wanna do it in here?
Leighton looks embarrassed.
L: We are, but we’re going to bed.
Leighton gets dressed for bed quickly and leaves Tatum in the room to get dressed so she can speak with Kimberly.
L: I thought I told you to warn me when he’s coming and going to be here.
K: Sorry! You didn’t text and say that you were coming home with Tatum either.
L: Well…yeah you’re right, sorry about that. We’re exhausted.
K: So I won’t hear anything coming from your room tonight?
Leighton gets huffy: Finkle, I have heard you having sex more times than I care to admit so if you hear us, you’ll live.
Kimberly laughs: Touché, I thought you two were on a cleanse.
L: We are. We’re really just going to bed. I didn’t want her driving home.
K: You look more at peace with her this time around. More sure of yourself.
L: Really?
K: Yes, the first time you got together last year, you seemed enamored with her and you were doing things to try and impress her. But now you’re coming into your own. I think that’s great. I know under her exterior, just like you, there’s a doll under there.
L: There is and it’s going to be taken from me in a few months when she graduates.
K: Don’t think about that. Focus on tonight and then tomorrow and then the day after that and so on and so on.
Leighton nods: Goodnight Finkle.
K: Goodnight Murray.
Leighton walks into the room and hears Tatum on the phone talking to who she can only assume is Stacey.
Tatum on the phone: you cannot continue to call me late at night like this. I told you what the deal was. I’m dating somebody, Gotdamn it! I will discuss this with you tomorrow during my break.
Leighton can hear Stacey protesting. She so badly wants to cuss her out but she is going to trust Tatum to handle this.
Tatum: Stacey…goodnight!
Leighton and Tatum eye one another.
Tatum hangs up the phone: Come here.
Leighton allows Tatum to lead her into the bed.
L: For two people who have barely been in a relationship, we’ve been through so much already.
Tatum laughs: I know it. It will be calmer soon, did you readjust your schedule for when we leave for the US Open?
Leighton: I did. Traveling together should be an experience. She snuggles into Tatum.
Tatum smiles into her hair. They do that thing they do and touch foreheads.
T: I will handle Stacey. I want us to work.
L: I do too. Monday the speaker comes in. I want you there with me.
Tatum nods into her hair: I got you…
To be continued…