The cab ride to Rocket Grill was short and Beca had begun getting increasingly agitated.
The entire ride over Chris and Chloe were dissecting certain parts of the song they had recorded. Chris had also started talking about Chloe showing up for selected tour dates and singing the version they had recorded live.
Beca was unnerved. More than that, she was pissed at herself for letting herself get so jealous over Chloe. It was like nothing had changed, Beca getting jealous over guys talking to Chloe. It was absolutely ridiculous.
She went through the same speech again in her head. Chloe didn't belong to her, or to anyone, and she needed to stop being bothered about what Chloe Beale did and who she did it with. It was one of the many reasons she had left five years ago. It wasn't her problem, but it absolutely killed Beca inside.
As soon as the cab had parked, Beca had bee-lined straight through the line to get in and headed straight for the bar ignoring Chloe and Amy calling for her. This is where she found herself currently buried in a gin and tonic. Oh, and three shots of tequila already working their way through her system.
"There you are! We've been trying to find you, why are you in hiding?" Aubrey said placing her hand on Beca's head and pulling her hoodie down.
"The point of being in hiding is to not be found," Beca groaned pressing her forehead to the bar.
"Why are you being so angsty? Chloe's been trying to find you. Her and Amy and Jess have signed up for what's sure to be a crowd pleaser," Aubrey said sitting at the bar next to Beca.
"Chloe is better off not finding me," Beca said barely above a whisper.
"Oh for God sakes, Beca, please tell me you aren't starting this shit again," Aubrey huffed signaling to the bartender for more shots.
"I just-ugh. Aubrey. I hate myself for being so jealous, you should've heard Chris in the cab – oh Chloe, you sound so amazing – oh, Chloe you should totally just come on tour with me and like sleep on the bus and make beautiful music and beautiful babies," Beca rambled angrily mocking Chris.
"He did not say that," Aubrey couldn't help but laugh at Beca's frustration.
"Well, no…. but he was thinking it!" Beca said pointing at Aubrey to empathize her point.
"Beca, talk to Chloe, I can't deal with all this sexual tension between the two of you all the time, do you have any idea how frustrating it is to see you both like this all the fucking time?" Aubrey grunted downing the tequila as she handed a glass over to Beca.
"Sexual tension? She has a boyfriend!" Beca replied throwing the glass to her head in one motion. "God that burns."
"Oh my God! You are SO dense! That dude isn't her boyfriend; he's someone she goes to when she misses YOU, Beca. When she's lonely. She is my best friend, you know? She tells me everything so I'm kind of breaking code right now. She told me she's texted you a million times and you never respond… You've got to let her in," Aubrey said signaling to the bartender for more shots.
"That's not her boyfriend?" Beca's eyes darted to meet Aubrey's.
"You two are absolutely fucking ridiculous! Jesse and I have to do it all!" Aubrey said throwing her hands up in defeat.
"Why does she wear that ring then? She wears it like all the time," Beca questioned. It had been absolutely driving her crazy and the redhead had given her no indication of what it meant.
"I'm not telling you that, I've already told you enough!" Aubrey laughed back; it was honestly adorable to her how much Beca cared about Chloe. Beca had never been able to move on from Chloe and Aubrey knew that better than anyone.
"Fine, now about that call earlier, did you get the paperwork straight?" Beca said turning to business.
"I've put all the legal documents together, but the restraining order should go through in a few days," Aubrey concluded.
"How absurd is it that I have to put a restraining order against someone?" Beca shook her head wondering how things how played out this way.
"Not just someone, Beca. Lindsey is crazy, she's saying you were harassing her at the bridal shop," Aubrey rumbled. She hated that the crazy bitch had put Beca in this predicament. "Don't worry though, when this plays out that crazy whore won't be allowed within 500 feet of you, or any of us."
"I trust you, Aubrey. I know you've got it covered, I just never want to see her again, but as my luck goes…" Beca mumbled lacing the rim of her, now empty, gin and tonic. Her head was starting to feel a little buzz.
"I know you do, now please talk to Chloe, OH! Or better yet, SING to her! She would love that!" Aubrey squealed.
"Maybe I will if it will make Chris back the fuck off her," Beca sulked looking to see Chloe, Stacie, Jess, and Amy on the dance floor. They had been taking breaks in-between karaoke for dance songs. "Jesus Posen, are you trying to get me wasted?" Beca said taking the next shot Aubrey handed her.
"Sure am, you deserve to cut loose sometimes, stop being so moody and lose that hoodie," Aubrey said standing and pulling Beca's zipper down on her hoodie and pushing her back to their table.
"Fine, fine, but don't make me suffer through listening to you and Jesse singing 'I Got You Babe' all dough-eyed again, I almost pulled a new puke gate last time," Beca gagged as she approached the table everyone was sitting around, except the girls on the dance floor.
She wasn't as uncomfortable as she thought she would be, but that was probably the liquid courage she had in her system now.
Beca felt herself being pulled from behind with hands on each side. Amy from her left. Chloe from her right.
"There you are, DJ! Let's smash this!" Amy yelled pulling Beca towards the dance floor, Aubrey staying close behind to make sure Beca was going. Beca tried to cue Jesse for some kind of help.
"Don't even try looking at Jesse – he isn't going to help you," Aubrey signaled at him and he sat back down at the table, Beca may be his best friend, but Aubrey was his fiancée and he was definitely going to listen to her.
"Smash what, Amy? Your dance moves are smashing it enough for all of us," Beca grumbled as she now stood in the middle of the floor and they began dancing to Usher and Ludacris's 'Yeah'.
"Beccccaaaaaaa…. Whatsa wrong? You disappearedddddd," Chloe pouted protruding her lower lip turning to take both of Beca's hands.
"Oh yeah – you're on ginger duty! We've been feeding her shots since we walked in to congratulate her on the song," Amy shrugged and turned to dance with Stacie.
"Uh oh, Chloe's drunk…." Beca teased. She found that no matter how hard she tried to stay upset with Chloe and keep her distance, she found it impossible to actually do so. It's why she had to move across the country to keep the distance.
"Mayyyybeeeeee a little bit," Chloe giggled leaning on Beca heavily as Beca quickly wrapped her arms around her to keep from falling. Chloe had on a short black dress and bright red heels and her hair smelled like vanilla. Beca felt intoxicated in an entirely different way.
"Well, sounds like I'm on Chloe duty then," Beca chuckled pushing a few strands of red from Chloe's face against her shoulder.
"I missed you when you was gone," Chloe said against Beca's skin, the words leaving warm breath against Beca's neck.
"Well, I'm here now," Beca choked out. Drunk Chloe was liable to break her.
"I sang with Chris Carrabbbbbbba today!" Chloe said pulling back and beginning to sway to the beat lightly, her face was etched in total bliss.
"That you did, he likes him some Chloe Beale," Beca grinned, looking back at Chris who was glancing towards them on the dance floor. He looked like he was trying to make his way over but Jesse had him locked in conversation.
She would have to thank Jesse later.
"Psssshhhhhhhhhhhhh, whatever, Mitchell. You're smoking something, well – I hope you aren't. Smoking is bad. Bad for your voice, and your voice is soooooo pretty. But you always looked hot when you smoked," Chloe chuckled out keeping Beca wrapped to her tightly.
"Hot? You're the one smoking something, Beale," Beca replied uncomfortable.
"And I was like yeahhhhh yeahhhh yeahhhhhh. Luda! Watch out my outfits ridiclousssss in the club lookin so conspicuoussssss," Chloe rapped into Beca's ear, pulling her even closer.
Chloe was too close. She was too drunk.
Beca was feeling. Too many things. She just –
"I came to see you. In Atlanta. I came to see you," Beca spat out.
Word vomit.
Though, she was glad it wasn't the other kind of vomit.
"You-you what?" Chloe said pulling back from Beca and sobering slightly at Beca's words. She couldn't have heard her correctly.
"I came to see you, Chloe," Beca responded looking directly in Chloe's ocean blue eyes.
Chloe was trying to formulate a response.
ANY kind of response.
She stood back from Beca, taking in her nervousness as she went to say something, anything.
"I-Uh-I-How? When?" Chloe said furrowing her brows in confusion. Aubrey had never mentioned Beca visiting.
"Uh… Three? Three years ago," Beca scratched the back of her neck nervously and looked at the floor. Maybe trying to be open with Chloe wasn't a good idea if that's how she was reacting…
"Thr-Three years ago?" Chloe asked shocked.
"Andddd now! Let's welcome back our karaoke queen – Fat Amy with her two sidekicks for the evening, Jess and Chloe!" The DJ announced, breaking the moment Chloe and Beca were having as the crowd erupted in applause.
Chloe looked to the stage and seemed to be struggling with what to do. She didn't really want to leave Beca's side in fear of her being gone when the song was over.
Beca seemed to have picked up on what Chloe was thinking,
"Go on – they are waiting on you," Beca pointed to Amy and Jess who were motioning for Chloe to come on stage.
"But-but Beca," Chloe stuttered, looking pleadingly at Beca and taking her hand.
"I will be here when you get done, now go crush it," Beca smiled, leaning in to kiss Chloe's cheek lightly in which the redhead blushed. Beca hadn't been the one to initiate any sort of physical contact since they'd been reunited, not intentionally, and Chloe's heart warmed at the small gesture.
"I'll look for you in the crowd," Chloe winked as she bounded to the stage joining Jess and Amy.
"No fucking way..." Beca shook her head in disbelief as the beginning chords of the song started, of course this is what Amy would pick.
The rest of the girls and Aubrey and Jesse cheered, Aubrey pulled out her phone to record a video. "This is definitely going on the Bellas Facebook page!" Aubrey shouted.
"Oh my god, Becky look at her butt. It is so big, it looks like one of those rap guys girlfriends," Chloe started off, very seriously into the role of the valley girl.
Beca was smiling way too big for her own good at how adorable Chloe was.
As they got more into the song and really began belting out the chorus, the guys wolf whistled as Amy slapped Jess's ass and Chloe turned the microphone to the crowd to have them sing along.
"Hey fellas!"
"Yeah?" Jesse shouted back teasingly.
"Does your girlfriend got the butt?" Chloe sang and then turned the microphone back to Jesse for a response.
"Hell yeah!" Jesse grinned checking Aubrey out playfully.
"Turn around – stick it out – even white boys got to shout! Baby got back!" Chloe sang and danced back.
They were killing it!
Well, Amy was currently doing something similar to mermaid dancing on the floor. Maybe she was trying to be an anaconda, Beca assumed?
"That was amazing!" Chris said high fiving the girls as they approached after their epic karaoke singing. "Chloe, we should totally get up there and sing something together!"
"Absolutely, Chris, just put us in," Chloe smiled approaching Beca's side and linking their arms.
The good mood Beca was in instantly disappeared.
The thing was - Chris was an awesome guy.
And Chris understood music.
And Chris was super attractive.
And Chris thought Chloe was beautiful.
And Chloe was beautiful.
And they would be good together.
But, Chris didn't understand Chloe.
And Beca was beginning to realize that she had understood Chloe-no-boundaries-Beale all along and she had something to prove.
Maybe it was the alcohol.
Maybe it was Aubrey's swift kick in the ass.
But, she had a point to make.
"Can we talk?" Chloe asked, knocking Beca's shoulder.
"Sure, I just um – I'm going to put a song in," Beca said motioning to the DJ.
"OH! What is it!?" Chloe clapped giddy, she couldn't wait to hear whatever Beca was going to sing.
"A surprise," Beca said walking towards the DJ as Chloe's eyes trailed Beca's form.
"More shots, bitches!" Amy yelled, passing out a round of shots to the group.