Chapter Text
Carson was quiet from about Ohio to New York, lost in her own thoughts, hopes and dreams for the next time she would see Greta Gill so when Jess, Lupe and Carson pulled up in front of her building, it took a steady flow of teasing from her friends to convince her to finally get out of the car and walk up to the door. They were going to go find the boarding house where they had rented a room for the weekend, with the plan that Carson was (hopefully, maybe?) going to be staying with Greta. After several deep breaths and trying not to look crazy pacing back and forth in front of her door, she finally took the plunge. Three knocks. Deep breath.
The door opened to a beautiful woman; about Carson’s height and structure. The two looked similar in many ways, although the brunette in front of her definitely had a New York sensibility about her; one that caused Carson to immediately fumble. She was in a tailored blue dress and heels, her hair curled and pinned in the newest style. A full face of perfect make up.
“Hi, can I help you?” the woman said, with only a slightly quizzical look on her face.
“Oh, I might have the wrong address. I was looking for Greta… Greta Gill? Um..I think… I should just… I’m sorry to bother you. um.. I think I should go”. Carson turned to walk away, hoping and praying that she could get out of the hallway without any more embarrassment. As she turned to go, the woman at the door actually opened the door more fully and stepped back, with the clear intention of welcoming Carson in.
“Um ya sorry, this is Greta’s place. Well, our place. I’m her…roommate. I’m Kathryn. Kate, actually. She’s just in the shower but you can come in, if you want to wait? Can I tell her who’s here?”
“Um… hi, ya..um, I’m Carson.” She said as she extended her hand for a brief handshake. Carson was hoping that there would be some sort of sign of recognition that would come across the “roommate’s” face. It was Carson– THE Carson. Surely Greta would have mentioned her? None came. “We played on the Peaches together” she said as she entered the apartment. It was a beautiful space. There were beautiful pops of color on every surface and an entire wall of books that Carson was immediately drawn to. Carson tried not to look too hard or be too nosey but it seemed like a perfectly domestic, cohesive environment. Dammit.
“Can I take your coat, Carson? The Peaches, huh…? I sure hope that means something to Greta, because this is the first I’m hearing of this. What are the Peaches?” Kate giggled sweetly as she went to hang up the coat and offered Carson a spot on their couch. Theirs.
Carson couldn’t believe it. Not only did Kate not know about her, but she didn’t know anything about the Peaches or Rockford or baseball. It was like the whole thing never even happened. It wasn’t real after all, apparently. Carson couldn’t speak for a second, and took a deep breath. She must have seemed off for a second, because Kate looked stopped and gave a questioning look.
“Um… you know what… I think I should probably be going, I should have maybe called first and… you know… maybe don’t even tell Greta that I was here, actually…. I’ll just um…” Carson went to get up off the couch, but bumped an elephant figurine off the coffee table. “Shit, I’m sorry… let me… um..”
As she bumbled and fumbled to get out of Greta (and Kate’s) apartment, she heard a door open down the hall and Kate went to intercept.
“Are you talking to somebody?” Greta said as she stepped out of the hallway and into the living room, drying her hair with a towel in one hand and the other hand securing another towel around her chest. Carson was almost to the door with her coat in her hand.
“Carson?” she exhaled. “What are you doing here?” Greta’s surprised smile made Carson’s heart stop but they both kept a room’s worth of distance.
“Oh… ya, hi. Um. Hi, Greta. Yep, I… well, me and Lupe and Jess came actually and I told them that I’d meet them… you know, for dinner… now. So..”
Greta crossed the room in a few short steps and pulled Carson into a hug. It was an awkward if not a platonic-friendly hug, made even more awkward by the fact that Greta didn’t have any clothes on and Carson was clutching her coat for dear life.
“Hiya, Chickadee” Greta said as she pulled back to look at Carson.
“Hi”
“Hi”
“Hi” said Kate, watching the interaction from the coffee table.
“Oh, Kate. This is Carson. Carson Shaw- she’s my friend from a baseball team I was on last year. I think I told you about that, right?” Greta said as she increased the distance between her and Carson. “Kate’s my roommate” she added as she didn’t quite meet Carson’s eyes.
“Ya, Carson mentioned something about fruit and I thought it sounded familiar” Kate said as she gave Greta a questioning look. There were too many things said in that look for this situation to be any more uncomfortable. Carson wanted to crawl into a hole and die. She just wanted to leave with some of her dignity still intact. Unfortunately, Kate was too kind and, because she didn’t know (although now suspected) Greta and Carson’s history, she assumed that she should make Greta’s friend and teammate more comfortable.
“Carson, I was going to whip something up for dinner before Greta goes out on her date, if you want to stick around for a while. We’d love to have you” Kate said as she moved her way over to the kitchen.
Greta and Carson were still in the living room close to the door. Greta stood there looking absolutely fucking perfect in her towel, her legs still glistening with drops of water and her curls starting to form in on her shoulders. She mouthed to Carson “I’m sorry” and Carson immediately looked down and took a step back. Deep breath. Carson could cut and run now, or she could stay in Greta’s orbit just a little while longer.
“I um… need to go get ready. Can’t go to Vivenne’s cocktail party in this” Greta said quietly and not meeting Carson’s eye “Could you stay for a bit? I’m so glad you’re here”
When Carson looked back up at her, she tried to keep her tears in check. She would not cry in front of her. Not now. She really could try to be gracious; she could stay and make small talk with Greta’s new girlfriend and catch up. It could be that simple. Easy.
“Um… I think I should probably go… really, I should meet Lupe and Jess before they cause too much trouble” she half looked at Greta and half at the door. “I’m sorry, I should have called first or… something” as her voice betrayed her and almost cracked into a million pieces. She couldn’t blink too hard for fear of a few tears falling.
Greta went to take a step closer as Kate reappeared from the kitchen hallway. “You’re heading out so soon, Carson? You sure I can’t convince you to stay for a bit?”
Greta rescued Carson in that moment. “Carson actually has to be heading out. We’re going to try to meet for breakfast in the morning”
Carson took a big inhale and was able to add “Ya um…breakfast” and “Thank you, it was nice meeting you, Kate” on her way out the door.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Was all Carson could say in her head as she made her way down the steps and out to the street, tears steadily falling.