A/N: In honor of the Forth of July, I have decided to post this chapter to all my follow American reader and writer on this site. Hope you enjoy it.
The next day, Kara had closed down the shop for the day. Normally she worked Saturdays and had gotten to the point that she could closed on Sundays and take day off to do housework and do hers and Gerald's laundry. She didn't mind doing it as he was a busy guy, but today, since he didn't have any work to do other than make revisions on the script he was writing; he would help her out with the laundry and write in-between loads. She was doing all this in case she was too hung over to do it tomorrow. Knowing the Bo Rap guys, they always wanted to go to a bar after work or whatever party they were at they made her do shots, which was never good for her being a light weight.
By noon, they had finished up the laundry and most of the cleaning and vacuuming. Whatever didn't get cleaned, Kara would do it tomorrow if she was up for it or next Sunday. She took a shower and got dressed while Gerald looked over his script. Saved it and started to get ready himself in their room. Since it was July, he just threw on a blue T-shirt and black shorts while Kara put on a red skirt and a fitted white tank top with black two-inch boots that didn't go past the ankle.
Kara got out of the bathroom and saw Gerald and smiled. "Keeping it casual as usual."
Gerald turned around to her as he was putting on his shoes. "Only when I'm not working or taking a meeting. You know that. It's just a Baroque, you know That."
Kara laughed, "Yes, I know. I'm just not used to you being out of a suit in the past Year. It's nice."
Gerald walked over to her with a smirk on his face. "Speaking of nice, you look hot." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a nice and then breaking away and slowly going for her neck.
She stopped him after a few kisses, "Uh-uh. Not now. We have to go get the beer and chips for the party."
"Come on, we have panty of time and we haven't done this in weeks." He went in again, only to be stopped by Kara. "I promise if you're a good boy today, you'll be rewarded after the BBQ."
Gerald smiled at what she said, "Really?"
She nodded."Okay. After the party." He agreed and he took her hand and they left their Bedroom and walked out the front door and out to the apartment parking lot.
They decided to take Gerald's car and drove to the store. They went in and got Beck's beer. (Kara's choice) Hot Cheeto's. (Gerald's choice) and ice, because you can never have too much ice; especially on a day like today.
Gerald and Kara got up to the cash register and paid for their items, then drove to Joe's house. They got there a quarter till 2. Kara was hungry and she could smell the burgers cooking when they got out of the car and walked up the driveway to the front door, currying the items they bought.
Answering the door was Chase Crawford from the TV show Gossip girl, which Kara hate watched in middle school and High school. He was holding a beer and smiled at them. "Hey Gerald, long time, no see." He held out his hand.
"Hey Man, I know. Other projects, you know." He took Chase's hand and they went in for a one-armed hug and then Gerald turned to Kara. "Chase, I'd like to meet my girlfriend, Kara."
Chase smiled, "Oh, it's nice to meet you Kara. Gerald has told me a lot about you" He stuck his hand and Kara shook it and Chase invited them inside finally. "I'll take that for ya. Chase said taking the heavy ice out of Kara's hand and the chips, leaving the beer in Gerald's hand.
Kara smiled as they got in, but was confused, as Gerald never told her that they were friends or even mentioned that they were friends. Maybe it was because he knew that Kara had a crush on him and if they met, she would leave him for Chase. But she wasn't the type to be with someone due to their fame. "Like what?" She asked curiously as he guiled them outside to the back patio.
"That you two went to college together and that you make your own Jewelry and how you own your own store." She nodded to him, knowing that those are the basic things he tells people. Just that. Barely anything else if they don't ask. He didn't like to talk about her private life or the story details of how they met as they embarrassed him.
"And what do you do Chase?" She asked, pretending to not know to not seem like a weird fangirl that she defiantly was not.
"I'm an actor. Perhaps you might've seen some of my work? Gossip Girl perhaps."
She nodded, knowing that she didn't want to lie and keep up the foreside of not knowing who he was. "Yes, I did like the show most of the time."
Chase raised an eyebrow, "Most of the time?"
Kara turned the same shade as her skirt, she didn't want to insult his work, but since he asked, "Sorry, no offence, but I didn't care for seasons five and six." She gave a craggy look to Chase.
Gerald looked speechless and couldn't believe she just said that. She normally did better at these types of things, but today she was already off to a bad start.
Chase paused for a min taking in what she just said. He then nodded in agreement with Kara. "Honestly, I couldn't agree more. I thought they went off the rales a bit between the three of us." He spoke, then looked at Gerald. "I like her." He whispered to him. Kara of course heard that and smiled to herself and Chase then lead them to the back patio.
Once they arrived, Chase put down the beer and ice down on a nearby table and called out to Joe, "Hey Joe, Gerald's here with his girlfriend, Kara. They brought beer and ice." "And chips." Kara said as she took the chips down on the table that
Chase placed the beer and ice down on.Joe looked up from flipping a burger at his grill. He was wearing an apron, something that neither Kara nor Gerald had image him ever wearing. Let alone grilling the meat. "Hey guys, that's very kind of you both. Make yourself at home. Nice to see you again, Kara." He smiled and gestured to the dressed table where three of the cast members of Bo Rap were sitting and talking Gwilym was sitting across from Rami and Lucy. "Hi guys. How's it going?" Kara asked them.
They all looked over to her and smiled, "Hey Kara, it's going well. How are you?" Rami answered and Lucy patted the seat next to her, glad to have another girl around other than herself to keep things balanced.
Kara took the seat next to Lucy and Gerald took a seat next to Gwilym. "It's going well. Glad to see you all again." She smiled guiluly meaning all that.
"And how's the jewelry store?" Lucy asked.
Kara's smile faded a bit at the question about her store. "Um... it's going well. Better on my site than in my store.
"Oh, what a shame." Lucy said. "I might just have to come in some time and give
You some business." "Me, too." Rami chimed in, taking a swing of beer. Lucy gave him a strange look. "What I can't buy you something?" Lucy raised an eyebrow to him, "I guess you can." She shrugged.
Kara then got up from the table. "Anyone want a beer?" She asked walking over to grab the 12 pack, which she still wasn't sure that was enough.
"I'll take one." Gwilym said and so did Rami and Lucy. A ring at the doorbell and Chase went to answer it and he came back with Ben Hardy. Kara smiled when she saw him. "Hey everyone. Did I miss anyth- Oh, hey Kara. Long time no see."
"Hi Ben, Would you like a beer as well?"
"Yes, please."
She handed him a bottle of the Becks bar. He eyed it after taking it. "OOO fancy German bar. I miss this girl." He smiled. "You got lucky, mate." He said when he spotted Gerald. He opened it with the bottle opener he curried with him on his keys at all times.
Kara then went back over to the table with seven other beers. She handed one to each to Gwilym, Rami, Lucy, Chase and one also to Gerald, cause even though he didn't say he wanted one, she knew that he did. She cheered him alone with everyone. She passed everyone the bottle opener that she brought with her. They all calched beers.
Joe turned off the Grill and gathered all the burgers and hotdogs and put them on a big plate in their buns. "Okay. Everyone just grab what they want and dress them the way you want." He put the plate in the center of the table. Gwil grabbed a burger as did Rami and Lucy, so did Kara. She put some pickles and mustard on it. Gerald got a hot dog and put some ketchup on it. Chase and Joe grabbed hotdogs and put mustard on theirs.
Kara looked over to Gerald when he put the ketchup on his hotdog. She often wondered whom she was living with sometimes. She laughed to herself and everyone else got into their conversations. Kara talked to Rami about being the new Bond villain. He told her what he could about it and she talked to Gwil about Top End Wedding. She couldn't wait to see that and Ben's film, too when that came out.
They ate and talked and Gerald told them about his latest project he was trying to get off the ground.Two of Joe's neighbors from down the hall joined them. Two girls in their late 20's attractive, one a blonde, the other a redhead. They ate with them Ate and after the meal, Kara had a beer with Rami, Lucy and Ben, while Gerald talked with Joe, Chase and the two girls. Wendy the blonde flirted with Chase and the redhead, Olivia tried to flirt with Gerald. She was touching his arm and Gerald was letting it Happen. Kara was noticing this and just sighed to herself.
She took a big swag of beer and turned her attention back to Rami who was talking a bit. Ben noticed this, too and patted her shoulder before listening to Rami talk more about South American history. Normally, Kara would've found this fascinating, but when another woman was hitting on Gerald, she couldn't enjoy the tales and the knowledge that Rami was dropping on them. He always presented it in such an interesting way. It showed what a good actor he was.
After a couple hours everyone left. Olivia put Gerald's number in his phone gave him a big hug before she left with Wendy. Kara tried to hold back her anger. Rami, Lucy and Ben all saw it and they all looked like they wanted to say something to Gerald, but they didn't want to get on him for what it might not be.
Ben tried to claim her down, as did Lucy and Kara breathed, and she hugged them goodbye as they all left, and Ben grabbed her phone and put his number down on her phone, so that she could talk to him, if she needed it and to also piss off Gerald to give him a taste of his own medicine and left Gwil patted her shoulder and left as did Rami and Lucy.
Kara then hugged and thanked both Joe and Chase for the BBQ, saying goodbye as well. So did Gerald and he and Kara left.