Out of all the things twenty-years-old Beca Mitchell excepted herself to do in a warm summer night, escorting her seventy-something grandmother Evelyn Mitchell to her weekly ball-night was the lowest on her list.
Except perhaps for going on a double date with Fat Amy – her roommate at Barden – and her boyfriend Bumper. God knew what could have possessed her to push the two together thinking they'd be cute; they were completely mad, and as Amy's best friend she was often trapped in the middle of their mayhem.
So, maybe, bearing one evening in the company of her grandma and a bunch of her octogenarian friends wouldn't be that bad.
At least not like that pool party where Amy pulled her bikini strap with such strength Beca had to hide behind Stacie to get out of the water without flashing everyone with her goodies... yeah, actually a night with her gran didn't sound so bad!
"Beca, dear, that's the building"
Beca parked the car near the entrance and watched the edifice.
"Swanson's Balera" said the banner over the door in red bold letters.
"What's a Balera?" she asked puzzled.
"It's Italian." Evelyn's eyes shone under the light coming from outside. "He's such a gentleman, you'll like him."
Beca frowned but before she could ask who she meant and point out she hadn't really answered her question, Evelyn Mitchell was already getting out of the car, with an agility Beca would never have suspected from her.
She watched the banner again, before following her grandmother out and onto the stairs to the door.
Good or bad, Beca was sure it would be a long night.
The gentleman happened to be the owner's son, a boy not too older that she was, who easily charmed all the ladies was well liked by all the men gathered there.
Soon was pretty clear to Beca that all of those men were also pushing him to go and chat with her, like he could possibly miss the only woman in the room with her own teeth still on.
She had the time to study him as he approached them in his button down white shirt and black jeans, smiling to this or that woman and greeting all of them with the same attention.
Beca had to admit he wasn't that bad: Broad shoulders, thin waist, obvious muscles shown by the tight shirt.
"Be ready to start Mr Clark" he said to a man who smiled back, his expression a little vague "Looking lovely Ms Green, you're going to make Miss Beale jealous tonight!"
"And good evening to you Mrs Mitchell, beautiful as ever." He put his hand in front of Beca, "Jesse Swanson" he smiled at her squeezing her hand a little longer than necessary, never looking lower than her neck.
Handsome, charming and polite. No wonder her grandmother liked him so much!
"Beca Mitchell"
"Oh I see" he winked to the older woman "You brought your sister tonight!"
Beca watched with something akin to horror as her grandmother blushed like a schoolgirl and then giggled – fucking giggled! - to the Casanova-wannabe. She tried to cover her shock looking to the floor. Surely watching his too bright shoes and her sandals was better than this.
"She's my grandchild" Evelyn faked swat Jesse's arm while he smiled at her.
"Really?" he gushed, watching both women "You got the same beautiful eyes." This time his smile was a little less fake and Beca blushed despite herself. It wasn't like she wasn't used to be hit on; but never in front of a member of her family and surely never with her grandmother winking at her on the side.
Clue the aca-awkward, as Amy would say.
Luckily for her, a man in his forty, way too similar to Jesse to not be his father, gathered everyone's attention when he called his son to help him with the mixer almost hid in the corner.
Once she noticed the object, Beca watched it with interest. It was an old Yamaha Beca herself had used more than once; not powerful like the new one she had put her eyes on, but enough for the use they would do. After all, how hard would those grandparents dance?
"He's such a great catch" Evelyn whispered in her ear
"What? GRANDMA!"
The old woman laughed while receiving curious but polite looks from her friends.
"You're a beautiful girl, Beca.. yet your father said you've not met a good boy. I wonder if you simply hid him from your father or if you're too independent..." It was touching, really, that her grandmother worried about her love life, but Beca found hard to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. Still, because she was watching the elder, she noticed Evelyn's blue eyes sparkle with mischief. "Perhaps" she told the girl "you'd like that more?"
"What?"
Embarrassed, confused and prompted by the woman's soft touch, Beca turned around, finding herself eye to eye with a smiling redhead.
"WHOA!" Beca stepped backwards immediately, loosing her foot in the process and the woman moved forward to catch her.
"Careful"
Her grandmother momentarily forgotten, the young Mitchell put her own hand over the stranger's arm, gripping the toned muscle under the smooth skin she found there.
"Sorry!" She stepped back, this time without making a fool of herself "Sorry." she repeated with a little embarrassed smile.
The smile of the other woman hit her with the force of thousands lights, but what captivated her attention more was the blue of her eyes, never seen before if not in some Photoshopped cover or movie. She couldn't find a word to describe their exceptional color but they were bright and warm and... watching her curiously.
"Are you okay?" the redhead asked "You seems a little flustered there:"
"No. Yes. No, I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm Beca... Beca Mitchell." Beca stumbled on her own words with the same lack of delicacy she displayed on daily basis. Embarrassed, she lowered her eyes, unconsciously getting a good look of the woman's body.
God! She had just made a fool of herself in front of a gorgeous woman... not even Amy could make her feel more embarrassed that she already felt.
And that became even worse when she heard the other laugh lightly... at her.
Could the floor just open up and swallow her? She knew that escorting her grandma would be a disaster!
"I'm Chloe." Beca watched a delicate hand being placed in front of her. "Chloe Beale... I teach here, sometime."
Surprised, Beca looked up to the other woman, automatically taking her hand in hers. Once again Chloe's smile was so much open and simply beautiful, that Beca almost skipped the fact the woman was lightly caressing the back of her hand with her thumbs.
Almost.
She felt herself smile tentatively once again, and once again blush against her own will while Chloe watched her amused and interested.
There was something there; Beca could feel it in her bones, there was a warm feeling and those blue eyes that captured her and... unfortunately, also a lot of older people that were calling their teacher's name right that moment.
Chloe Beale twirled around almost taking Beca with her and immediately addressed at her students with easiness and warmth.
Beca Mitchell noticed not one of the knowingly glances her grandmother sent her way, nor the confused looks Jesse flashed from her to Chloe and then back. All she saw in the following hour was Chloe Beale, dancing, laughing, talking, and sometime watching her.
Those looks, she made sure to take note of, and to send her own to the dance teacher.
It was the fastest hour Beca had ever lived.
And too soon came to a end when the dancers sat down in circle and Jesse and his father took them drinks and cakes.
"Are you okay grandma?" Beca asked the woman watching her chest go up and down rapidly. She was seventy... couldn't she have a less tiresome hobby? Not even Beca put that much of an effort on her daily training!
Which wasn't saying much, but still...
"I'm fine child." Evelyn smiled with affection to her only grandchild, who she loved more than herself "I'm a little tired, that's all. But it's good for us, good for every of us to have something like this..." she smiled sweetly and sipped her orange juice "Be dear and take my coat, would you? It's in that room with the other's."
"Of course." Beca stepped behind the woman's chair, letting her hand caress her shoulders lightly before walking towards the room.
To say it was a mess was putting it lightly. Coats and hats were everywhere, and so were things Beca was pretty sure didn't belong to the people in the dance room. Not without hesitation she took a fuchsia feather boa to inspect it better, only to put it down hastily when a voice startled her.
"Sometime they like to wear it... especially the women..." Beca gulped watching Chloe leave the wall she was leaning against – since when? - and walk slowly and predatory towards her. "They act like it's the '30, like the jazz is played in a New Orleans night, and they're young and wild and... desirable."
Chloe stopped just inches from Beca, an hand finding hers and then going up, caressing her naked arm, up to her shoulder, leaving a patch of goose bumps in its way, her exceptional blue eyes never leaving Beca's.
"Do you feel desirable, Beca?" she asked, her voice low and hoarse. Beca couldn't help but let her eyes wander from Chloe's to her lips, pink and wet and parted.
"..."
She wasn't sure she had a reply ready, the strained sound she made wasn't an answer at all, but Chloe seemed to accept it anyway, as her hand kept on her travelling until arriving to stroke delicately Beca's cheek.
"Because you are, to me." And all Beca could do under that touch and lulled by that voice was close her eyes and accept the lips that found hers, strangely timid at first and than more daring. A pair of arms embraced her and she leaned completely against Chloe in her craving for the woman she had watcher for a full, teasing, hour.
When their tongue met was a shock Beca wasn't ready for, a desire to want, to possess, she had never felt before; so strong and demanding that she has to step back, still gripping Chloe's top right over her waist.
Painting lightly, she put her head on Chloe's shoulder, smelling the sweet scent of the redhead, and smiling quietly to herself.
Who would have ever thought?
"Did I go too fast?" Chloe's unsure voice shocked her a little, but the other girl's hand kept tracing slowly pats on her back and it took all Beca had to not purr against her skin. She had embarrassed herself enough for their first meeting, hadn't her?
She shook her head in answer, loving everything she was feeling in that moment: Chloe's hand, the reality of her body, the intoxicating smell that filled Beca's senses, the smoothness of her skin, under Beca's curious fingers.
Beca never went so fast with somebody before, yet it felt perfect with Chloe.
She raised her head a little, just enough to find her own lips again Chloe's neck.
She kissed. She bit lightly, she licked, feeling the woman shiver under her purposely slow touches.
"I – uh- didn't...um... went too fast... I gather"
Beca smiled, her mouth over a particular sweet spot on Chloe's neck, feeling her moving deliciously against her.
"Nope" she murmured loving the way Chloe's hand gripped her shoulder, pressing the brunette against herself. "Not at all."
"Good!"
And then was again all Chloe, demanding and giving against her lips, sensual and teasing in the twirls of their tongues, curious and secure in the movements of her exploring hands.
And then there was no more Chloe, when the men and women from the other room – or the other universe for how much Beca was aware of it at the moment – began to flow in and the redhead detached herself from Beca's body, not without a last lustful look to her.
In matter of seconds the redhead had gone back to be those people's teachers and she had to compose herself before going back to her grandmother.
Whom she had completely forgotten!
Beca watched around frantically trying to locate her grandma coat when Chloe put it under her nose, with a warm smile.
"Are you looking for this?"
Beca smiled back, unable to hold herself back.
"My hero" she tried to joke, but it was way too soon and Chloe way too near to not be distracted by the pull she felt, by the instinct to just touch the other girl in whatever measure she could. She found her hands touching the fabric of Chloe's top, right over her abs almost without thinking about it.
By the way Chloe's eyes were fixed on her, big and full of want and promises she wasn't the only one in this situation.
"I often go to a club near here, Saturday nights..." the dance teacher said, reaching for Beca's hand and "Perhaps you could come too?"
Beca nodded fervently making Chloe laugh at her eagerness.
"Yes... I'd like it, I'd-"
"Beca? Are you ready to go?" Evelyn Mitchell had never seen her grandchild looked so dishevelled since she was ten and trying to climb over a tree, and didn't take a lot to put two and two together.
She smiled kindly at her teacher and watched Beca trying to pull herself together with the grace and nonchalance of a baby bear. So much to learn...
"Why don't you go to start the car? You know how that thing work. I'll be right behind."
Beca's eyes darted from Evelyn to Chloe and the older woman had to stop a laugh watching her squirm a little before saying goodbye to Ms Beale, who, even keeping an eye on Beca's retreating form, helped Evelyn to put on her coat.
"I'll like you, Ms Beale" she said to the younger woman "I'd expect you to treat my grandchild well"
Although surprised, Chloe smiled to the woman, her eyes finding the one so similar to Beca's.
"I will."
Beca Mitchell drove slowly towards her grandmother's house.
Thoughts were flying madly in her mind, all concerning one person and all of them pushing and pulling her in different directions.
Beca had never really gone that fast with someone, and had never felt so strongly about someone to lose herself completely in them. Nor, she had ever hated waiting to see them again...
Chloe was a first... many first actually, and that was delightful and scaring at the same time.
Still, Chloe had invited her out... more or less... and Beca was tempted to leave her Grandma at home and just drive back, even if Chloe would probably be gone for when Beca would arrive. She hadn't even asked her number!
"What's your problem, Beca?" Evelyn asked kindly.
The younger Mitchell shrugged. Whatever her grandma may had guessed – or seen – about her and Chloe, she wasn't going to tell her how hot and desirable she found her dance teacher! There was a limit to Beca's embarrassment. And there was where she drew the line.
"What problem? I'm okay."
"You keep sighing... that's not okay"
"I just... "Beca kept her eyes on the road, feeling once again the blush creeping up from her chest to covering her cheeks "Would you mind if I take you there again next Friday?" perhaps Chloe would gave her an address or something... perhaps she would known if this was a one time thing for the other woman or something more, a thought that plagued her as soon as she left the back room.
"I would like that" Her grandma smiled. "But I expect you at dinner tomorrow night too. I didn't invite Ms Beale over for the pleasure of her company, you know?"
"You WHAT?"
It took all Beca's attention to not drive directly off the road, but the car slid dangerously, before her grip on the wheel became once more firm.
Only when she heard the older Mitchell laughs at her, she let herself go too, glad her grandmother could accept her just like that, glad she was lucky enough to have her in her life still, glad she had decided to take Evelyn Mitchell to her dance night, simply glad to be alive and to have a chance with a very fine, very lovely Ms Beale.
