Chaos and a bit of History
You have got to be kidding me.
Ava stared at the email she just received.
This has got to be the fucking icing on the cake. What a fucking shitty week it has been and we are only halfway through it. Who the fuck did I piss off to be treated like this! Oh for the love of God, it is only Wednesday. Gimme a break please!
Her Monday has gone the way all Mondays have gone. It. Sucked. No more, no less horrid than any other Mondays. Normally Ava would tell anyone who asked that the week does get better, things will be hectic for a little while before settling down sometime in the middle of the week before tapering off for them to wind down in time for the weekends. The road to partnership was tough and sleepless as fuck but the freedom it affords her now was worth it in Ava’s opinion. Up till now that is.
This is bullshit! Is this Lilith’s idea of a joke? Please tell me that this is her idea of a joke. Of all people in the department, no, in the entire fucking company, they chose him to be my assistant?! That, that, that… buffoon.
Ava wanted to scream.
Maybe I could… No. Bea is nothing if not professional at work. She would roll with this and ensure that I do the same. No, she cannot know about this before I find a way to get rid of it.
With the wisp of a plan forming in her mind, she steamrolled her way to Lilith’s office.
“Lil-”
The wisp of a plan that she had disintegrated and words died on her lips as she took in the sight in front of her.
Barging in is a BAD idea. Bea is gonna kill me. Wait, Bea can’t kill me. Lilith would have eviscerated me wayyy before that. I forgot how scary she is.
To say that Lilith looks murderous is a gross understatement. If looks could kill, Ava would have died ten times over.
“What. Do. You. Want.”
“May...be I could come back? Yeah, I think I would come back. Say in like 5 days?”
Ava asked as she backed out of the room.
“AVA SILVA!”
Lilith roared and Ava ran.
“Lilith.”
A hand came to rest on Lilith’s shoulder, holding her in place, preventing her from chasing after Ava and beating her within an inch of her life.
“But…”
“Lil…”
“She is a menace! To just barge in without knocking.”
“I’m sure she did, Bea won’t have it any other way if she didn’t. But your focus was elsewhere?”
“That is…”
“You sure you want to complete that sentence?”
“No”
Lilith sighed.
“Great! That is settled and lunch hour is over, I should head back to my own office. See you after?”
“Yes, of course.”
“No killing Ava. Promise?”
“Promise” Lilith promised as though it pained her physically to give her word.
“Love you hot stuff”
Lilith blushed as Camila leaned in, placed a kiss on her cheek before climbing off her lap and sauntering out of the door.
Stupid Ava and her terrible timing.
--- Beatrice’s office ---
“Ava”
“Ava”
“Ava”
“Darling, you need to stop pacing. I love you but you need to tell me why you are here instead of in your own office.”
“Bea, you didn’t see her face. Lilith is out there, hunting me.”
Ava glanced at her watch.
“Right about now.”
“Love, you are being dramatic. Why would Lilith be hunting you? What did you do this time?”
“Me? Why do you assume I was the one who did something? Why can’t it just be Lilith hunting me for sport like she always does?”
“Love, Lilith has better ways to use her time than hunting you for sport.”
“You don’t say. Lilith definitely is making the most of her lunch hour.”
Ava muttered under her breath.
“What was it? Come on darling, I don’t have all day. These emails aren’t going to clear themselves and I have to clear them by today. The longer you keep me waiting here, the later I will be able to go home to you.”
“I walked in on Lilith and Cam in Lilith’s office.”
Beatrice motioned for Ava to get to the point of her story.
Why doesn’t she realize exactly how mortifying this is for ME. To recount this.
“Cam was straddling her and…”
“Okay! I have heard enough. Darling, did you knock?”
“I did! I think I did. I was… in a hurry.”
“Darling…”
Beatrice sighed and rubbed her temples. She could feel a headache building.
“How about this, since Cam was there, she would make sure Lilith isn’t out there hunting you and you can return to your office and the both of us can get some work done before we meet them for drinks at the bar later?”
The bar.Shit. Lilith will just kill me there. Outside of work. Damnit Silva, you really did not think this thru.
“I guess.”
Ava resigned herself to her fate of escaping Lilith in her own office instead of her wife’s. She spun Beatrice around and kissed her before spinning her back to her desk.
“Love you babe. See you later. No overtime today okay.”
“If someone would finally let me get back to work?”
“Yes, yes. Message received loud and clear.”
Ava throw a careless wave behind her as she closed the door to Beatrice’s office.
What a dork.
Beatrice smiled to herself as she returned her focus to the mountain of emails that await her before her hurricane of a wife blew into her office.
-- firm’s instant messenger group chat--
Beatrice: A little birdie told me you are on the warpath
Lilith: What happened to your puppy?
Beatrice: What puppy?
Ava: We are getting a puppy??!!
Camila: Why is no one working? Bea you are getting a puppy?
Ava: WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME BABE! I’m going over right now.
Beatrice: Ava, stay put. Go back to work darling. Lilith, for the love of God, what. puppy.
Lilith: The short haired, crazy, sunshiney, ALWAYS excited to see you, hides behind you when they do something wrong?
Beatrice …
Ava: Who dat?
Camila: Lilith, you did not…
Ava: Someone tell me what is going on! Bea, since when do we have a puppy that I do not know of?
Beatrice: Lilith, you are so paying for this.
Lilith: Consider us even after what happened during lunch.
Beatrice: I had no part in that.
Lilith: You could have done more to instill common sense in her.
Beatrice: You do realize now I would never hear the end of this at least for the entire week right?
Lilith: Why do you think I added everyone into this conversation?
Beatrice: I so hate you.
Ava: Guysssss….NOTICE ME!!!!!
Lilith: My work here is done.
Lilith has left the conversation.
Beatrice has left the conversation.
Camila has left the conversation.
Ava: Rude
Ava has left the conversation.
-- firm’s instant messenger --
Ava: Bea
Ava: Babea
Ava: Beaboo
Ava: Babybooboo
Ava: Beaaaaaaaa
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea
Ava: Bea!
Ava: Notice
Ava: Me
Beatrice: That is…. Yes darling? Don’t you have a lot of work that you need to get to? I heard Suzanne gave you a deadline to get your billables in order by the end of the week?
Ava: That is a problem for future Ava. Also a problem for current Yasmine.
Beatrice: Darling, you know that today is Wednesday right? And that we are almost at the end of the day?
Ava: That is not important Beaaaaa. That is an issue for Thursday Ava. I promise you, Thursday Ava will get right on it. For now though… when are you going to tell me?
Beatrice: Tell you what?
Ava: About the puppy!!
Beatrice: There is no puppy. Thursday Ava might have to deal with her billables but Wednesday Beatrice is still going thru the mountain of documentations for the latest transfer pricing project.
Ava: But why would Lilith mention a puppy that you own?
Beatrice bit back a laugh, as she stared at her wife’s response on the screen. She could almost see the way Ava’s head would tilt to one side and the look of confusion on her face. God, her wife is so fucking adorable. No number of years of being together is going to stop her from thinking that.
Beatrice: Lilith is doing that just to wind you up. And wind me up in the process to make both of us pay for you walking in on her and Cam just now.
Ava: So Lilith is lying? I don’t care.
Ava: Beaaaaa
Ava: I
Ava: Want
Ava: A
Beatrice has left the conversation
Ava: Puppy
Ava: Babe?
Ava: Babe?
Ava added Beatrice to the conversation
Ava: Why did you leave without saying you are leaving!
Beatrice: Because darling, I told you. Wednesday Beatrice has a ton of documents to get thru and recommendations to vet and endorse before we go for drinks.
Beatrice: Besides, you are just going to stay on your “I want a puppy” train anyway.
Ava: That is… true but also wholly unfair!
Ava pouted in front of her computer screen.
Wait, Bea can’t see the pout, it won’t work.
Beatrice: Stop pouting, it didn’t work the last 5 years, it will not work for the next 5 years.
Ava: Does this means I can try again in 5 years’ time?
Beatrice: Sure darling, whatever goats your boat. But I really have got to go. I love you and behave, Wednesday Ava might be free but Wednesday Lilith is still on the warpath.
Ava: Babe, you just have to remind me that she is hunting me. She is definitely still hunting me right? I knew it.
Beatrice: I’m exiting this before you go down another rabbit hole. I love you and see you later.
Beatrice has left the conversation.
--- Later that evening, Revival Bar ---
“Lil”
“Pipes”
Lilith leaned in to hug the blonde.
“You are early”
“Is our usual spot ready?”
“Yes, Camila called ahead to say that you might be early. Damn girl, she’s got your number. I’ll be with you in a bit.”
Lilith nodded and threw Piper a lazy wave over her shoulder as she made her way to the booth at the back. Sliding into the seat, she pulled out her phone to drop Camila a text that she was already at the bar.
- Text messages between Camila and Lilith -
Lilith: Thanks for calling ahead
Camila: Piper told you?
Lilith: Yeah, I really needed this. I also think I know why Ava was looking for me during lunch.
Camila: Do you want to tell me?
Lilith: I do, but not now. I feel bad now. Is this what feeling bad is? Ugh, this is the worst.
Camila: Now I really have to know. You try to murder Ava at least once a week and you have never felt bad.
Lilith: This is pretty bad Cam and knowing Ava, she is going to try to fix this before Bea finds out.
Camila: Which is…?
Lilith: I’ll tell you later, but for now, I drink. When are you going to be here?
Camila: I’m about done, so I’ll head over in about ten minutes. Be there in like 30?
Lilith: See you then.
---
Lilith looked up from her phone just in time to see Piper skidding to a halt in front of their table and placed a cup of whiskey neat down in front of her.
“Where are you rushing to?”
Lilith looked at the glass in confusion.
“I don’t remember ordering.”
“It’s from Al. Well, Al and me? She said you look stressed and that I should hurry over with this.”
Lilith look behind Piper towards the bar and saw Alex looking at them. She smiled and nodded at Alex who returned the gesture and went back to fixing the drinks on the order chits in front of her.
“Can I get you anything to eat?”
“It’s fine, I’m waiting for the rest of them to show up before we decide on food. Thanks for the drink.”
“No problem, just holler if you need anything.”
With that parting sentence, Piper dashed off to help out with the evening rush.
Left alone with her thoughts, Lilith swirled the drink in her hand before taking a sip. The sharp bite of whiskey as it hit her tongue took her back to when they first started hanging out at Revival.
-- 5 years ago --
“Revival? What a dumb name. What are they reviving?”
Lilith scoffed.
“Be nice”
Camila said, elbowing Lilith not so gently.
“Ava is excited for us to try so we are going to try.”
Lilith stared at her best friend. Maybe girlfriend.
Damn it, this is so confusing. She is Cam. Why can’t I just get it together and ask her.
“I understand Bea being whipped but Cam, you too?”
“I am what?”
Beatrice tore herself away from her phone and looked up at Lilith.
“Oh, Lilith said that you are -”
Lilith slapped her hand over Camila’s mouth so quickly that neither Beatrice nor Camila herself had time to react.
“Stop stirring the pot”
She hissed into Camila’s ear, taking full advantage of the additional inches she has on her friend.
Beatrice raised an eyebrow. Her friends are being weirder than normal but she was busy being distracted by a certain puppy on the other end of the line.
“Ava says she is going to be a bit late. Pam from HR has a couple of forms for her to sign and the riot act to read her.”
“What did she do this time that requires Pam to read her the riot act?”
“Probably the fact that she exist in the firm would require the riot act to be read to her.”
“Ava wants me to tell you Lilith that your boss sucks and that you owe her a drink for taking this for you.”
“Did you text her while having a conversation with me?”
Camila elbowed Lilith again.
“Okay okay. With US.”
Lilith gestured to both herself and Camila.
“I am good at multitasking which is one of the reasons why we are out drinking tonight.”
“Yeah yeah yeah”
Lilith grumbled good-naturedly.
“Congrats Bea!”
Camila leaned in and hugged Beatrice tightly.
“Thanks Cam. Wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without all of you. And you!”
Beatrice whirled around and prodded Lilith in the shoulder, scaring her in the process at the speed with which she executed the move.
“What have you got Ava to do on your behalf that has Pam on her case?”
Lilith shrugged.
“You can ask her yourself later. Come on, let’s go in and see what is the hype of this place that has Ava talking about it non-stop. I swear to God Bea, your girlfriend talks a lot. All the time. But the number of times she gushed about this place is a whole new level.”
“You make it sound like she wasn't your friend before she was my girlfriend.”
“Aww Lil, we know you love her too.”
Camila reached up in an attempt to pinch Lilith’s cheek, only to have the taller of the two swatting the attempt away.
With that the trio pushed open the nondescript door of a dingy looking shopfront and walked in.
“Have you been here before?”
“No, I have not. Like you, this is my first time.”
“Really? Given how much Ava talk about this place, I would think she brought you here way before now.”
“It’s not like you don’t know the lives we lead Cam. We have sold our souls to the firm for a very sad price.”
Beatrice shuddered as the memory of long nights and endless all-nighters flash thru her mind.
“First year sucked”
“Amen”
“Welllll, it wasn’t all that bad”
Beatrice and Camila looked over to Lilith all scandalized.
“WHAT?!”
They yelled in unison.
Lilith plugged her ears with her fingers to drown out the unexpected loudness of their reaction.
This tiny alcove is not meant for such a volume. I’m surprised no one came running out yet.
Just as that thought concluded in her head, a blonde head peeked out from the thick curtains separating them from what Lilith thinks is the main bar.
“Hi, sorry about the wait. If you could just give me one more minute and I will be right with you.”
The blonde head disappeared as soon as the sentence was over.
“I cannot believe you thought the first year was, and I quote, not that bad.”
“Second year was worse in my opinion.”
“They are all bad Lil. All. Bad.”
“To be fair, life is better now.”
“Says the woman who JUST made partner.”
“Hey! I resent that. But seriously guys, thank you for being there for me. I’m so glad that we are all still together.”
“Aww Bea”
Camila reached across Lilith and hugged Beatrice tightly.
“Come here you”
She pulled an unwilling Lilith into their impromptu hug.
A throat cleared behind them.
“Sorry to interrupt, I am so sorry for the delay. How may I help you?”
The blonde head was back. This time, there was a body to match.
Lilith looked the blonde from head to toe as she bounced on the spot to the faint music that is coming from behind the curtain.
This energy… she is essentially another Ava.
Finally it made sense to Lilith why Ava love this place. It is basically run by her clones.
“We would like a table for 4 please.”
The blonde looked at the tablet she has in her hands.
“I’m so sorry, we are fully booked tonight.”
“You are?”
“Yes, unless you have a reservation, I’m afraid we are booked solid for the entire night.”
“Oh. In that case - ”
Beatrice was about to turn around and ask the rest for an alternative location when the door blew open behind them.
“PIPES!!”
A very familiar voice yelled out behind her.
“AVA!!”
The blonde rushed forward and collided with the newcomer.
“Babe? What are you all standing around here?”
Ava looked at the gang all confused while Beatrice leaned in for a kiss.
“Darling, they are fully booked. I don’t think we would be able to drink here tonight.”
“They are what?”
Ava turned back to the blonde.
“Pipes, you gave my table away?”
“No? I would never do you dirty like this. You know that Ava. Every Friday night as promised unless you call to say otherwise.”
“Okay, I think there is some confusion going on here. Hi, I’m Lilith. This is Camila”
Camila gave a small wave.
“And the very disgusting public display of affections there is known as Beatrice and Ava.”
At the sound of her name, Beatrice looked up from the hug that Ava currently has her in and waved.
“Cool! I’m Piper and I’ll be attending to your table this evening.”
Ava snorted at that introduction.
“Really Pipes? A waitstaff? Is that what you are telling everyone these days?”
“Shut up Ava.”
Piper bit back without heat.
“Let me show you guys to your table.”
“Is Alex around tonight?”
“You know she is.”
“How would I know. I don’t keep tabs on your wife Pipes.”
Piper rolled her eyes as she led them to their booth.
Someone was waiting for them at their booth when they get there. Beatrice took in the stranger.
Tall. Very fair. Dark haired. Impossibly green eyes. Cheekbones that will give Lilith a run for her money. Who is…
Her brain shorted at the sight of the stranger leaning in and kissing Ava on the cheek after lifting her off the ground in what can only be deemed as bone crushing hug.
What the -
Jealousy isn’t an emotion that Beatrice is familiar with. It is difficult to be jealous of others when she is so accomplished in almost everything she does. Almost. When it comes to being social and building a social circle, Beatrice has zero desire to excel. Content with the current small circle of friends that she has. That is until Ava came along and she found herself more often than not at some party or other. People in their firm now knows her for who she is instead of her reputation as one of the most strategic minds to join the transfer pricing team.
Yet, it is difficult to not be jealous when someone this hot is hugging her girlfriend like the world is about to end.
“Bea?”
Turns out the hug was over during her jealousy induced mini meltdown and Ava has been trying to get her attention ever since.
“Yes darling?”
“This is her?”
Oh lord that voice. If there ever was a voice that Ava will be more than attracted to, it would be this. How…
“Yeap! This is her. This is Beatrice.”
Ava practically sighed out Beatrice’s name like a lovesick fool.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Alex. I see you have met Piper.”
Alex? OH. Alex.
“Likewise. This is Lilith and Camila.”
“Listen, I have got to go, we are booked solid tonight but I will come by whenever I can and we can do this introductions properly?”
“Sure Al. Go get ‘em. Also, can you bring 5 glasses of your signature for us to start us off?”
“5?”
Alex looked at Ava as though she has gone blind.
“Piper is working tonight, you know that right”
“Who said it was for her? I need two to myself after the day I just had.”
“Aww, you poor child.”
Alex drawled with a droll look on her face while patting Ava on her head.
“Hands off you tall freak”
Ava reached up and swat the offending hand away laughing.
“I should dash, I see the orders lining up. Love you Pipes.”
Alex leaned over and dropped a kiss on Piper’s head before making her way back behind the bar.
“Do you need to hear the specials or I can leave it to your very capable hands Ava?”
“You don’t know how capable these hands are.”
Ava waggled her eyebrows at Piper while doing the jazz hands. Piper laughed.
“Let me know when you are good to order?”
At Ava’s nod, Piper left the group to their own devices.
“Love, do you maybe want to explain what is all that?”
“I thought I was the only tall freak in your life shortstack.”
“Awww… is lil Lilith feeling left out?”
“I will smite you.”
“No you won’t. Cam won’t let you.”
Ava stuck her tongue out at Lilith.
“Maybe we should separate the two of you tonight. Lilith you slide in first. Me and Beatrice will be in the middle.”
“But Cam -”
“Nah uh. Slide in”
Lilith slid into the booth silently.
“Whoo-eesh!”
Lilith looked back, eyes murderous.
“Don’t make me go over there Silva,”
“Whipped”
Ava coughed out.
“Darling, stop winding Lilith up. I don’t think your friends would want to clean your remains off their floor.”
“But Bea…”
The look on Beatrice’s face stopped further arguments and Ava fell silent.
“Whipped”
Ava looked at Lilith.
“Yeah! But at least, I can do this.”
She tilted Beatrice’s face towards her and kissed her deeply.
“Alright, alright. Knock it off. You really never change don’t you Ava.”
Piper’s voice brought the couple out of their kiss.
“Here you go, 5 revivals.”
She placed a drink in front of each of them with the final two in front of Ava.
“This is the best!”
Ava crowed all excited. She took a long drink from the first glass.
“Did Alex fine tune her recipe again?”
“Damn you are good. Yeah, Al said she changed something up for this glass and was wondering if you can tell the difference.”
“Yes!! This means… this round is on her?”
Piper nodded, laughing.
“Tell Alex we say thanks and that I prefer the original version.”
Ava paused, her eyes widened.
“The other one is the original version right?”
“Yup!”
Piper couldn’t help but laughed at the way Ava’s eyes widen in alarm at the thought of not getting the original recipe revival.
“Are you ready to order or you need a bit of time?”
Ava looked around, Lilith and Camila seemed very engross in flipping thru the menu while Beatrice was studying the drink in front of her.
“I’ll find you once we have figure something out?”
Piper nodded.
“Give Alex our love and thanks Pipes.”
With that, Piper left to attend to the rapidly filling place.
“So, what is good here?”
Lilith looked at Ava over the top of the menu.
“You have been so seriously reading it the entire time and you are asking me this???”
“Honestly, they all look so good, I’m not sure where to begin.”
“Piper is gonna be so stoked when she hears this. This entire menu is her brainchild. How about this, we get 3 mains, 3 apps and a dessert each to share?”
‘Sounds good to me.”
Camila took a sip and squealed.
“THIS IS SO GOOOD. We are coming back here again for sure.”
“That is fast.”
Lilith looked over at Camila.
“You have not even tried the food.”
“Just try the drink Lil.”
Lilith took a sip and her eyes widen. Very rarely do their tastes in cocktails collide but this drink seems to fulfill everything she is looking for in a cocktail and more.
“Okay fine. You are right. This place is good.”
“YES!”
Ava fist pumped.
“Bea bea bea. Did you hear it? Lilith acknowledged that I have good taste.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
Ava stuck her tongue out at Lilith.
“Yes I did love. Could you just decide on the food for all of us?”
“Okay, I’ll just get Piper to decide then. Outsourcing at its finest. Now everyone, for the most important reason why we are here. My babybooboo is now a PARTNER! Raise your glass to our new transfer pricing partner, my babybooboo, Beatrice Athena Young.”
“To Bea, may you be as kickass as ever and make equity partner soon.”
“Hear hear.”
“Thank you guys. I really couldn’t have done it without all of you. It has been a crazy decade and I cannot wait for all of us to be partners together.”
They clinked glasses and drained them. Ava waved to get a waitstaff attention before drawing a circle to gesture a second round for their entire group.
“Lemme go put in our orders before the dinner rush hits the kitchen.”
Ava slid out of the booth and quickly made her way to where Piper was standing at the front of the house.
Beatrice watched from her seat at the booth. Everything about their interactions ever since Ava reached the bar screamed closeness and familiarity. Yet, Ava had never once mentioned that she has such people in her life.
Curiouser and curiouser.
A peanut shell bounced off the frames of her glasses. Beatrice looked at the offending shell on the table and up at Lilith.
“Stare any harder and one, if not both, of them would combust. What’s up with that?”
Lilith gestures at the whole Ava standing impossibly close to Piper with Piper’s arm around her shoulders and her head thrown back laughing.
“I am just as clueless as u are.”
Lilith jaw dropped. The world stopped making sense all of a sudden.
Ava has friends that Beatrice doesn’t know about. Really hot, really close friends that Beatrice doesn’t know about. What, how, who…
Lilith could feel a headache coming on. Knowing that Beatrice is most likely stuck in her head until Ava help her make sense of the entire situation, Camila took pity on a very shellshocked Lilith and reached over to squeezed her hand on the table.
“I’m sure Ava would have a good explanation for all of this. After all, she has been bugging us to come here for forever. It is just we kinda had zero life for the last decade. This also explains how she gets all those food and drinks so quickly when we had to pull all-nighters in the office.”
“I think the bigger question here is, how are you THIS unaffected? Look at Beatrice!”
Lilith gestured at a still mute Beatrice that is staring intently at her girlfriend who is taking way too long to put in an order of food for 4 people.
“I trust Ava. And this place is pretty cool. She obviously know Alex and Piper well -”
“Too well I think.”
“Hush you, stop trying to blow her mind. Bea has never been bad at anything, I don’t think she is equipped to deal with this.”
“She is literally sitting right there, you know that right.”
Lilith hissed at the fact that Camila did not bother lowering her voice at all.
“The world could end. You could be dancing naked on the table. Suzanne could be performing a striptease. A dog could be licking the side of her face. Trust me Lil, none of it will register with her. Not when she is like this. The only thing that will bring her out of it is if -”
Before Camila could finish her sentence, they watched Ava gave Piper an extra tight hug before bounding back to their table.
“So…. What did I miss?”
She asked confused, looking back and forth at the current occupants.
“Bea? Are you okay?”
Ava reached out and squeezed Beatrice’s hand.
“It is nothing darling. What did you order for us?”
“I have no clue what will show up. I told Piper to get us 3 apps, 3 mains and 4 desserts and that she should surprise me.”
“And that took a 15mins conversation?”
“Babe, are you… okay?”
Ava looked over at Beatrice, concerned.
“You sound weird. Like really weird and it is beginning to worry me.”
Bea sounds jealous. But she has never been jealous? What does a jealous Bea even look like? Would she… NO! Bad Ava. Bea is insecure right now and all you can think of it that? I should be a good girlfriend now and maybe she would reward me later.
“It is all good darling. Maybe you can tell us the story of how you met them? You all seem rather close.”
What is wrong with me? This weird feeling of possessiveness. I have never experienced it. They are obviously a couple and married for crying out loud. Why am I still so weird out about it!
“Understatement.”
Lilith coughed out. Camila glared at the back of Lilith’s head for stirring the pot on principle seeing as that is all she could see given how Lilith was still facing the couple.
“Play nice. Stop stirring.”
She hissed and elbowed Lilith.who winced and nodded. As much as she enjoyed tormenting Ava, they were all harmless torment. This seems to be a rather foreign issue to Beatrice and everyone can see that she was struggling to make sense of the whole thing and her feelings towards it.
“Babe”
Ava tilted Beatrice face towards her.
“You have nothing to worry about. I have known Al and Pipes a long time. Well, I know Alex thru Piper so technically I know Piper for a tad bit longer.”
She leaned into kiss Beatrice deeply. The kiss was broken by Lilith falling into Beatrice’s lap. Literally.
“Lilith, you hitting on my girl now? I must say, this falling into a girl’s lap routine feels very inspired. Any other laps you wanna consider falling into?”
Ava asked with a shit eating grin.
“Shut it.”
Lilith grumbled, sore from being violently shoved into the couple as Camila’s method of breaking up their kiss took a very hands on approach.
“Story time Ava!”
Camila clapped her hands in excitement as though the violent shoving did not happen in the first place.
Cam is probably the definition of a cinnamon roll that can kill you and will kill you. I’ll probably never stop getting whiplash from this aboutturn in her behavior. Even though I’m the one being shoved, she is making me doubt that I was.
This feels a bit too enthusiastic for a boring story of how Al, Pipes and I meet but this is Cam. She is excited about the weirdest stuff.
“So, where do I start?”
“From the top.”
Beatrice’s reply was instantaneous.
“What?”
She asked confused as everyone stared at the speed with which she replied.
“I’m just curious, like the rest of you.”
Beatrice could feel the tip of her ears burning and she hid her face in the crook of Ava’s neck.
“Okay okay, y’all need to lay off with the staring at my girlfriend even though I know she is the hottest person in the room right now.”
Ava joked and mock glared at the both of them while patting the back of Beatrice’s head. Before either Lilith or Camila could retort, the moment was broken by the arrival of their appetizers and second round of drinks.
“Yes!!! She remembered!”
Ava crowed.
“Babe, you need to try this. This calamari is to die for. Pipes has always been very discerning and a genius when it comes to food. Here, try.”
Ava speared a calamari ring and dipped it into the accompanying sauce before attempting to feed it to Beatrice. It took everything that Beatrice never knew she had to fight off the wave of jealousy at the fond and overtly familiar way Ava shortened Piper’s name.
“Babe?”
Ava waggled her eyebrows and the hand holding the fork with the calamari ring dangling off it.
Beatrice took the ring reluctantly. The explosion of flavors that hit her tongue left her breathless. It was every bit as good as Ava claimed it to be. And she cannot bring herself to say anything terrible about it.
“How is it? How is it?”
Ava wriggled in her seat in anticipation of Beatrice’s feedback.
“You were right, it is some of the best calamari ring I have tasted.”
Lilith looked at Beatrice dubiously. Growing up the way they did, it is difficult to wow their palates.
Bea is just being nice because it is Ava -
The thought died in her head as Camila had unceremoniously shoved a piece into her slightly ajar mouth.
Since when… it must have fallen open when I heard Bea praising this food. Speaking of, damn it this is really good.
Ava watched with glee at the reaction of her friends at the food Piper had chosen for the night.
Finally.
Beatrice cleared her throat.
“Story time?”
She looked at Ava with a smile so impossibly soft that Ava melted on the spot. Just as she was about lean in for a kiss, a hand appeared between their faces.
“Nah-uh. No more. No more of this until I either get more drinks in me or more food. I’m not picky.”
When did Lilth and Cam… Nevermind. As long as I’m seated between Lilith and Ava, it should minimize the chaos tonight.
“Hey Lil, why are you next to Bea? Shouldn’t you be really far from me right now? Like, really far. On the other side of the booth far?”
Trust Ava to call them out on this.
Lilith spluttered. She had no idea why Camila asked to swap seats at the last minute. Whatever Camila wants, Camila gets. At least when it comes to Lilith.
A peanut bounced off Ava’s nose and her focus diverted from Lilith to the peanut thrower.
“How else would I be able to do this?”
Camila laughed and asked Ava.
Ava reached for the bowl of peanuts only to find that Beatrice has taken possession of it to prevent things from escalating into a full blown food fight. It was in times like these that Beatrice misses Mary the most.
At least it is almost time for them to come back from their sabbatical. I wonder if Mary knows Alex and Piper.
“Oooh look! Food is here!”
Ava bounced in her seat as the rest of the appetizers and two of their mains were served. Ava looked at Beatrice and pouted, ready to bring out the big guns if needed. Beatrice sighed, pulled one of the mains towards her and begin portioning it with practiced efficiency.
Ava wriggled in her seat in an odd victory dance and took a long pull of her drink.
“Let me see…”
Ava attempted to put her thoughts in a coherent order to tell the story how she met Piper in the least confusing way possible. She maintained that it is not her fault that she got distracted halfway thru the story and that sometimes, side quests are more fun than the main quest.
“I think it was the sophomore year of high school. I was brilliant as usual”
At that Ava gave a mock bow and Lilith picked up the peanut shell and tossed it at her.
“Hey!”
Ava laughed.
“Anyway, my brilliance landed me in AP for all my classes. On the first day of class, I sat next to the blondest, snootiest person in class with crazy blue eyes.”
It was as though that description summoned her, Piper appeared at their table.
“All’s good?”
The group nodded.
“They love the food.”
Ava informed Piper.
“Nice!!”
Piper hopped a little on the spot at the compliment.
“Ava here is about to tell us how she got to know you guys. Wanna join in?”
Camila slid further into Lilith to make space for Piper as the blonde sat down at their table.
“Don’t you have to…”
Ava gestured to the dining room.
“Nah… they can handle it without me. I’m not even supposed to be on the roster anyway. I just got bored and decided to pass time by helping out. This though, is way more fun. Where are you at?”
“She has just got started.”
“Yeah, something about sitting next to the blondest and snootiest person in homeroom.”
Piper mock glared at Ava.
“Snootiest? Really?”
“You were so stuck up Pipes. I was just surprised you managed to see past your own nose that year.”
Ava laughed.
“As I was saying, blondest and snootiest”
She gestured to Piper.
“Woe is me for being the new kid and having to seat next to her. But I also didn’t expect her to be the kindest. High school Ava didn’t have the best time in school. I was always the weird orphan with clothes that don’t fit and secondhand books. If it wasn’t for Piper, I don’t think I would have made it to college. My entire existence was basically a “Please Bully Me” neon sign and I lost count of the number of lockers I was shoved into or the number of times I found my books in the school’s pool.”
Ava hated talking about high school. It always brought back bad memories. Yet, it was also what gave her Piper and Alex in her life.
Guess high school wasn’t that sucky after all.
Piper looked at Ava, remembering how bad things were for her then.
“After one particular incident of the jocks dumping me into the recycle bin outside the school, Piper confronted them in front of the bin I was stuck in and ripped into them. The jocks laughed right in her face. I mean, could you blame them? Look at her.”
Everyone dutifully turned to look at Piper who rolled her eyes at the added dramatics to the retelling of how they became friends.
“These football players were about to introduce Piper to the insides of the bin and me, I guess, when Piper lowered her voice and said something that I could not quite catch then. Did you guys know that plastic can be pretty soundproof? Or maybe she was just really soft. Either way, I was getting antsy at the fact that I could not climb out without help and also low key dying on the inside to know what she had said for the jocks to be falling over themselves apologizing for throwing me in and swearing up and down that they and all their friends would leave me alone until graduation.”
Ava looked at Piper.
“Wanna tell the rest of this part?”
“Why? You seem to be doing a pretty good job at this.”
Piper looked around the table.
“It really wasn’t as dramatic as Ava made it out to be. All I did was tell them that if they ever go near Ava again, I would set Alex on them.”
“Alex?”
Lilith asked incredulous.
“Why Alex?”
Camlia asked confused while Beatrice kissed the side of Ava’s head, knowing how much the retelling of her high school years still affect her at times.