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Beca wearily unlocked the door of her penthouse apartment and headed straight for the kitchen. Just home from another bad date, she needed a drink.
A very stiff drink. Why was every woman in this town insane? Why is every woman never her? She groaned to herself as she poured very expensive whiskey over ice.
Leaning against the counter, she crossed her free arm across her chest. Her problem, part of her realized, was that she could not bring herself to let go of the woman who had captured her heart during her freshman year of college.
Even though it is like fifteen years later. When did you become so pathetic, Mitchell? You got to let it go, dude. She will never be into you.
She took a large swallow of whiskey and pushed off the counter, kicking off her heels with a sigh of relief. She padded barefoot into the living room and turned on some music; even the band at the restaurant had been bad that night. She curled up in her leather recliner, tucking her legs beneath her and started looking over her missed texts.
There were a few work related ones. One from Chloe about a mini Bella reunion she wanted to do for the ones in NYC. Then one from the girl she couldn’t stop thinking about.
Aubrey: Hey, Becs, hope this date is better than the last one.
She hesitated a moment, then tapped out,
Beca: I wish I could say it was.
Aubrey caught herself smiling, then she schooled her features. Feeling a little guilty she felt relieved that her friend had a bad time. She couldn't explain it, but her mood had been sour since Beca told her about the recent dates in the first place. It didn't make sense. She should want her friend to find someone. You just like having someone to get drinks with, she tried to reason with herself.
Aubrey: Another dud, huh?
Beca took a long sip of her drink. Dud was an understatement, but she wasn't sure she felt like talking about it. Especially with the person she would rather be dating.
Beca: Yeah.
Beca: Not sure how much longer I'm gonna play this game.
Aubrey: Don't say that. You're pretty great once you get past the prickly exterior. You deserve to be happy.
Beca stood, leaving the phone just long enough to go change into a robe from the sequined black dress she'd worn out. Sitting, she reclaimed drink and phone and typed,
Beca: Deserving and being doomed are different things, Bree. And it's exhausting.
Aubrey: I understand the exhausting part.
Aubrey: Describe your dream woman? Surely we can find her in a city of 4.5 million women.
Why are you so concerned with her dating life? Aubrey asked herself.
"You, Aubrey Posen, it's always been you." Beca growled into her empty apartment. She wished she had the courage to just say it already.
Beca: I don't know how to describe it. It kinda defies explanation.
That was as close to blunt as she could be. A compliment that would go unnoticed.
Aubrey: someone like Chloe?
Aubrey felt a tug of jealousy at her gut. What is with you lately? It’s just Beca. Witty. Sarcastic. Brilliant. Mysterious. Talented. Gorgeous. Gorgeous? Aubrey’s eyes went wide. “Oh, god.”
Beca snorted. Chloe had been her best friend since they won their first ICCA championship, but strangely enough, it wasn't the admittedly-hot redhead who had captivated Beca. It was the authoritative, no-nonsense, commanding, straight-laced, blonde Captain of the Bellas who had entranced her.
Beca: No. Not like Chloe.
Aubrey: I suppose she would be too bubbly for your personality.
“When the hell did I get a crush on Mitchell?” Aubrey asked out loud to her empty townhouse. “How? What?” She mumbled. Well, you have always wanted to put her in her place.
Beca: There's nothing wrong with bubbly. It's just not what I'm looking for. Not like that.
Beca sighed and went to fetch the bottle from the kitchen. If this conversation was going this way, she'd need another drink. She could always say she was going to bed, but it wasn't like they got to talk often enough that she would give up an opportunity. It's the closest you're likely to get.
Aubrey: So, what does a badass producer look for?
Beca: Someone with authority, who can walk in, take control and keep it.
Aubrey snorted out loud. She wished she could show the brunette some true authority.
Aubrey: Where was that attitude your freshmen year? Lol
Beca blushed even alone in the near dark. Her phone, set to a channel for the 90s and 00s, started playing The Sign just then, and she gave a flustered snort of her own.
Beca: It was being blind.
Aubrey: it can be a hard pill to swallow realizing you were actually blind to things all along.
Beca pursed her lips. How far did she dare go? What could she say?
Beca: It probably wouldn't have mattered. Or it would have happened already
Aubrey furrowed her brows.
Aubrey: Is anything really ever too late?
Aubrey: So, there is someone you know already?
Beca drained her second whiskey and poured another. She was starting to feel it, and vaguely wondered if she was making a mistake.
Beca: Yeah
Aubrey: why haven’t you made a move yet? It’s not like you’re exactly shy about things you want.
Beca: Outta my league, Bree.
Aubrey finished her glass of wine and realized she had almost emptied a bottle by herself. She shrugged and poured the last bit into her glass.
Aubrey: You're witty. Funny. Mysterious. Ambitious. A Grammy award winning producer. And a total smoke show. And you think someone is out of your league?
Beca blushed brighter each time she read over the list of traits. Does she really think all that? A smoke show?
Beca: You're exaggerating
Aubrey: where? Cause I don’t think so. You’re a catch, Becs. Anyone would be lucky. I mean that.
Beca checked the time. It wasn't quite as late as it felt. She wasn't sure she wanted to say much more over text.
Beca: You wanna grab a drink?
Aubrey: meet you at our spot in about 30?
Aubrey was dressed simply in a pair of jeans and a sweater. Her hair was in a pony tail. She had very light make-up on and was sitting in a booth in the back corner. Their usual drinks were already resting on the table. Her finger rubbed over the condensation on her gin and tonic glass nervously. She didn’t know exactly what in the hell she was doing or what she expected from her line of questioning, but she knew the moment Beca asked her, that she wanted to see the brunette.
Beca returned to the bedroom and threw on a t-shirt that read "ACaptain Records" and jeans before calling a cab. "What am I doing? As if it's gonna make a difference if I tell her." Stepping out of the cab, she headed into the bar they usually met in. "Here goes nothing."
Aubrey’s head snapped up the moment Beca walked in, as if she could sense her. She felt her lips lift into a smile instantly. Her eyes focused on the shorter woman, and honestly it felt like looking at the woman for the first time. She noticed every single detail. Had her eyes always been so captivating? she thought as Beca sat across from her. “Hey, I got your usual and I ordered some loaded fries. Figured you didn’t actually eat.”
Beca gave a faint smile in return. "Good idea. And you're right, the restaurant wasn't even good." She didn't dare meet those eyes for long, and soon she looked down into her drink. "Thanks for meeting up."
“Where did she try to take you?” Aubrey asked. “Somewhere super fancy when you’d rather have White Castle any day of the week?” She teased her softly.
Beca chuckled. "Pretty much. I can enjoy a five-star meal, but I don't need it." She sipped her drink and thanked the waiter when the fries arrived. "Bad food, bad music, bad company," she grumbled. "I should just stop trying."
“Anyone who knows you knows that trash food and good music is a must,” Aubrey said as she picked up a fry. “You know, maybe you just aren't trying in the right places.”
Beca ate a few fries to buy time. "Have you ever wondered if there really is someone for everyone?"
“I think that,” Aubrey said. “I have to believe in something like that or it would be bleak. But I believe that there are multiple people. Just sometimes life makes you miss them. Or something makes you realize maybe they weren’t so far away in the first place,” she said.
So close I could reach out and touch you, Beca thought. "What if... you feel it, but you don't know if they do?"
Aubrey brought her green eyes to Beca’s face. “That’s the risk you take with any encounter isn’t it?” Aubrey asked rhetorically. “With relationships, with friendships, with music…with sex,” she added. “Sometimes you have to risk it for the good stuff.”
Beca nodded, glancing up to meet her gaze. "Bree, I..." Her breath caught and she needed another sip. "This woman I know... she's everything I thought I could want or need. But I don't know how to tell her. I don't want to lose her."
“Tell me about her and I will tell you if I think you will lose her,” Aubrey said, barely audible over the speakers.
Beca took a deep breath. "High power job that she excels at. Commands a room by walking in. Respected by peers and friends. Some musical background."
Aubrey’s face flickered for a brief moment at the description. A breath of hope that Beca could actually mean her. “I think if she is as great as you say then you definitely won’t lose her,” Aubrey responded, keeping their eyes locked.
Beca felt pulled in by those eyes, and at this point she didn't care. She couldn't bite her tongue anymore. "Bree... You... it's always been you," she murmured. Her heart thundered in her chest louder than the bass from the music.
Aubrey gasped softly at hearing it out loud. She started to smile and it just got bigger. She reached forward and grabbed her hands. “Thank god. That would have been very embarrassing,” she said, parroting what freshmen Beca said all those years ago. She locked their fingers together. “I’m sorry I’ve been so blind.”
Beca blinked rapidly with confusion. "Wait... what... you mean..." She stumbled over her words, afraid she was dreaming.
Aubrey smirked at her. The girl was adorable, and her shyness made Aubrey feel even more brazen. She lifted herself up and leaned across the table and pecked Beca’s cheek, grazing the corner of her mouth. “I mean that if you ask me out, I will say yes, and take you somewhere you won’t hate,” she said against her cheek before pulling back and settling back in her seat. “Take care of you the way you deserve.”
Swallowing hard, Beca stared at her. "I, uh... well..." She cleared her throat a bit. "Would you like to go out sometime soon, Aubrey?" She flinched at how formal it sounded.
Aubrey let out a throaty chuckle. “I have court tomorrow, should actually be out of the office at a decent time. Does tomorrow night work for you?”
Beca's lips curled into a small smile. "Tomorrow night sounds great. I'll pick you up?"
“Dress casual and wear comfortable shoes,” Aubrey smiled, a blush dusting her cheeks.
Beca's smile widened. "It's really happening. At least, a real date is happening." Her eyes fell to where their hands were joined. It felt so natural. Standing, she moved around to Aubrey's side of the table and pulled a chair close so they could hold hands and share the fries.
Aubrey turned towards her and their knees touched. “I might have had an epiphany that all these dates you’ve been going on made me a little…a lot jealous,” Aubrey admitted.
Beca felt like a spark ignited at the light touch. "Really? I never would have imagined." She squeezed her hand a bit. "I wish they'd all been with you, Bree."
“Maybe now they will be,” she replied with a smile.
"Slow your roll, Mitchell," Beca told herself. Sitting so close with that brilliant smile directed at her was intense, and her gut told her to go for a kiss. But she didn't want to rush. She took a long sip of her drink to try and regain her equilibrium. "I care about you a lot. Like, really a lot. Even when I was giving you shit, it was because I wanted your attention and didn't know how else to get it."
"I care about you too, Beca," Aubrey said as she leaned into the woman. She turned her head to ghost over the shell of her ear. “And you have my complete attention now,” she said. Her hand rested on her knee like an anchor.
Feeling that attention and Aubrey's words like a caress, Beca met her eyes again for a moment. Slowly, giving her time to pull away, Beca lifted a hand to her cheek and leaned close for a kiss.
Oh. Aubrey thought to herself the moment their lips touched. It felt electric. She deepened it just barely, mindful of the fact they were in a really public place. She had a huge smile on her face. “That felt overdue.” She said as she stroked her jaw then gripped it roughly before soothing over the skin again.
Beca sucked in a deep breath as her eyes fluttered closed. She gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah. I've wanted to do that for a long time." She leaned her face into Aubrey's touch, nerves sparking as she reached for the last of her drink. "I guess we should eat before the fries get cold."
Aubrey looked into dark navy eyes with a smile. It was almost dizzying, Her thumb brushed over her cheek before she pulled away. She took her hand again under the table and snagged another fry.
Watching the natural grace of the blonde's hand a moment, Beca helped herself to a fry as well. "So," she started, looking for something to talk about, "how's work these days?"
“It’s going really well,” she answered. “It will be better after I win my case tomorrow,” she said confidently. “How about you? Make anything Aca-amazing lately?”
"One of my artists just released her first hit single, which I produced, so things are pretty good." An idea struck her. "Y'know, I've never seen you in court before."
“You haven’t,” Aubrey said. “Suddenly interested in divorce law?” She asked.
Beca smiled. "I'd just like to see you in action. The way you talk to a judge, how you convince them to see your client's side of the story. What's the deal with tomorrow's case?" She wondered what Aubrey would look like, dressed professionally for work. "If she wears heels, her legs may just be the death of me." She had always known Aubrey would be successful at whatever she decided to do for a living, but in all these years, she had yet to actually witness her in her element.
“It is a pretty messy divorce. Husband caught in several affairs. I’m going to tear him and his lawyer a new one tomorrow,” she said. “Do you want to come watch?” She asked, her hand rubbing on her thigh.
Beca felt her hand like a white-hot brand even through her jeans, but tried to ignore it. "That would be great, actually. I could use a day out of the office, and this is the perfect reason to see you before dinner. I'll just sit in the back and observe and be impressed."
“I’ll try not to get distracted,” Aubrey smirked softly. “I’d like that. I might be able to slip in lunch if you're amicable to that,” she said, her fingers tapping on Beca’s leg.
Beca blushed slightly. "I'd like that, if you can swing it. I don't want to get in your way while you're working." Lunch would be better than good, it would be another chance to sit and talk for a bit, and Beca wanted as much of that as she could get. Giving up on the fries, she draped her free arm along the back of Aubrey's chair, not quite touching her, but really close to it.
“I don’t think you’ll be in the way, Becs,” she said as she leaned back against her arm. “I think it will be pretty neat to look out and see your face.”
"I'll make sure to give you my best smile," Beca replied quietly, brushing her fingertips up and down what she could reach of Aubrey's upper arm. "All in all, it sounds like a really great day." She debated ordering another drink, but she was starting to feel what she'd already had and was unsure of pushing further. She didn't want to have a hangover in the morning when she was trying to watch Aubrey work.
“I’ve had way too much to drink tonight to responsibly order another drink. I guess we should call it a night,” Aubrey said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Yeah, same. I want to be able to think without my brain overheating tomorrow. What time should I meet you at the courthouse?" She didn't withdraw her arm just yet, savoring the feeling of Aubrey leaning close.
“You can meet me on the steps at 9:15,” Aubrey said softly. She leaned in and laid a kiss to her jaw and then reluctantly stood. She threw some cash on the table to pay. Then held out her hand to Beca. They stepped outside and the cool fall air was a relief. “I can’t wait to get home and call Chloe. She is going to lose it,” Aubrey said.
"About us?" Beca pushed her free hand through her chestnut hair. The bubbly redhead would probably get a kick out of the news that her two best friends were going on a date. She chuckled. "Yeah, she won't know what to do with herself."
“I think she will be pretty excited,” Aubrey mused. Aubrey stopped under a street lamp. And looked down at Beca. “But not as excited as I am.”
Beca met her gaze. "Me, either. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. With you." She would get to spend an entire day with Aubrey for the first time in a long time, and not with their other friends around. It was a dream come true for the producer. She lifted Aubrey's hand and kissed the back gently, her eyes still on her face.
Aubrey grinned and tugged the brunette closer by her shirt slowly. She leaned in and gave her a kiss, more firmly, more sure than the one inside. She brushed her nose against hers as she pulled away. “I can’t wait,” she said. “Goodnight, Becs.”
"Me, too, Bree. Sweet dreams." Beca took one last long look at her before turning to hail a cab home.
Aubrey made it home with a warm smile. She showered and got ready for bed. She pulled out her phone and texted Chloe.
Aubrey: I have a date tomorrow. With Beca.
Chloe nearly fell out of bed when she read the text.
Chloe: Wait, what? With BECA?! When did THIS happen?
Aubrey: Tonight. We met for drinks after her terrible date.
Aubrey: I might have realized that her going on all these dates made me a tad jealous
Chloe snickered, leaning against her headboard.
Chloe: Interesting. Jealous, huh? How long has that part been happening?
Aubrey: longer than I'm ready to even admit to myself.
"Awwwww," Chloe said out loud to her empty bedroom. She had often wondered what could have happened between her best friends if they had had an easier time of Beca's freshman year, but since neither ever mentioned anything, she had assumed she was wrong.
Chloe: How did this happen? Like, what led you two to decide to go on a date?
Aubrey: We can have drinks to discuss everything this week. But in a nutshell? She talked about giving up on dating. I got her to describe her perfect woman. And she kind of described me? Then she asked me out. We had two very chaste kisses that felt like electricity.
Chloe: That's adorable. I love this for you. And we're totes getting drinks! Any idea where you're going tomorrow?
Aubrey: She is coming to the courthouse tomorrow and we are going for lunch. Then tomorrow evening there is a festival in the park with food trucks, live music, and vendors. Do you think she would enjoy that?
Chloe: Sounds pretty perfect, tbh. Look at you, having a date and arguing a court case at the same time! I'm so happy for you, Bree!