Bechloe - Like A Record, Baby

Chapter I

"Ah... Y, yeah... Y, yes... Yes. Yes, I'm sure."

Oh my God... Get it together, Beale!

"Okay, well, if you need me you know where to find me."

"O, okay."

Why can't I stop stuttering? Ugh! Beca smiles at me before walking off and I take the opportunity to check her out. My God... I gulp and wipe my brow. I need to get out of here. I completely failed at having a normal conversation with her and I KNOW she thinks I'm a weirdo. I've been coming here every day for the past week just to look at her. I don't know her last name so I can't stalk her on social media. If I just knew her last name I'd be able to look her up and find out some more things about her. I want to impress her somehow but I don't know anything about the woman so I can at least relate to her or pretend to if the need arises.

Okay. That's it. I have to make a decision. I can't keep going on like this. Taking a deep breath, I pull out a random record and take it to the counter, my legs feeling like jelly along the way.

"You found something, huh?" Beca smirks.

"Ah, yep..." My hands are shaking when I slide the vinyl over to her.

"Oh, A Night at the Opera, nice. Bohemian Rhapsody is a great song."

I look down and realise that I picked up a Queen album.

"Yeah, it is." I haven't listened to much Queen in my life since I'm not one for classic rock and roll but I'll pretend that I do for the sake of this gorgeous woman.

"Another good band is Guns N' Roses." She tells me, scanning the record through.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. They're good."

"I'll... I'll look into them, then."

"That comes to twenty dollars and forty-two cents."

I grab my purse from my bag and pull out a twenty-dollar bill but I don't have any coins on me and I left my card at home. Dammit! I know exactly where it is, too. I left it on the kitchen counter when I bought a top online and forgot to put it back in my purse.

"Ah... I'm sorry, I, don't... I don't have any change..." I'm so embarrassed right now.

I just want the ground to swallow me whole. I wasn't planning on buying anything today but I should always check to make sure that I have enough money just in case. Idiot, Beale!

"You know what?" Beca slides the record over to me and takes the twenty. "Don't worry about it."

"W, what?"

"It's only forty-two cents and I don't think Queen are short of money."

"Are, are you serious?"

You seriously need to get that stuttering under control, girl...

"Yeah. My boss isn't in today so he won't know. I'll just put the forty-two cents in myself at the end of the day."

"Oh my God. That's so sweet of you." My cheeks flush and I feel like I'm going to combust I'm so hot.

"You're welcome...?"

"Oh! Chloe. Chloe Beale." I extend my hand.

"Beca Mitchell." She slips her hand in mine and shakes it.

I gasp at the softness of her hands as electricity sparks inside me. I'm touching her! And I got her last name! YES!

We shake for a few seconds before we pull away.