“Apology accepted?” Hiro said hesitantly, looking at Claudia for help. She simply shrugged and rolled her eyes, leaning back and sipping her drink. I knew how she felt.
I was just about to protest, maybe tear out my hair at Bea’s face in frustration, when Don appeared almost out of nowhere with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face and already a few drinks ahead of everyone. I always wonder what Don does when he’s not around. Messina Designs operates on Don putting in the capital, securing one or two clients and then goofing around while Hiro and I follow through with the actual work. Hiro the super dork did all the programming while I, the graphic design super genius, did all the designing.
“Ladies, lords! Why aren’t we dancing?” Don asked, already shaking his hips and bouncing in time to the music. There was just something about him that chicks really dug, and after spending the last few years with him, I still couldn’t figure out what it was. He held out his hand to Claudia. “The bar is hopping, and I know there’s a celebrity here somewhere. Milady?”
“Good sir!” Claudia exclaimed, taking his hand and practically bouncing with him to the dance floor. The color drained from Hiro’s face.
“What the hell?!” He exclaimed, downing the rest of his beer in three gulps. Wow. I haven’t seen him do that since the last time we saw Claudia. “We talked about this! Fucking hell.”
Then he slammed his hand on the table, making me jump at his immense strength. Then he awkwardly shimmied out of our booth and mumbled something about getting a drink. Hiro sometimes had issues holding in his anger, and I was a little worried he would take it out on someone. But he seemed content to head straight to the bar. I could tell that Bea was about to release a stream of witchy spells and bitch curses at me so I made an excuse about helping Hiro at the bar and ran out of there as fast as I could.
* * *
“Hey,” I said, nudging my shoulder against hers as we walked out of the bar and into the evening. She looked up at me with glassy, beer goggle eyes. Her cheeks had flushed red at some point. Hiro and Claudia were about ten steps in front of us, walking and whispering in hushed tones like they had been in love since the dawn of time. I was just trying to get us through the night, really.
“There’s a free-for-all Fine Arts elective that they’re opening up,” I said, trying to sound casual and to still convey that I was just trying to find a way for us to spend time together. “It’s like a sampler course where they teach you a bit of everything. We could sign up for that. Uhm. Only if you want to. I mean, it’s okay if you don’t.”
I wasn’t sure how drunk Bea was, or if she was drunk at all, because she smiled at me and tiptoed slightly to kiss my cheek (actually it was more of my chin because I was so panicked that my face jerked forward).
“I’d love to.”
* * *
I found Hiro standing by the bar and staring daggers in the direction of the dance floor. Predictably enough, Don and Claudia were dancing. It didn’t look too R-rated from where I was standing, but from the way Hiro was glaring and gripping his beer bottle, she might as well be dry humping him in public.
“What the goodyear my lord!” I joked, clapping my hand over his tense shoulder. “Why so serious?”
Hiro was not a man of many words, but from the way his jaw was set and his hand was gripping his drink, I knew something was up. He had a tendency to flare up when he bottled up his feelings. As his dutiful wingman, I made sure he did that while the girls weren’t looking.
“I’m going to do it,” he announced between grit teeth. “I’m finally going to do it. I’m going to punch Don’s smug ass face so hard his ugly nose will be inside out.”
“Dude, chill,” I said, clapping my hand on his back. The guy was so focused he didn’t even flinch. “You haven’t seen her in years.”
“I know, and I forgot how much I missed her,” he said. He was so good at just saying what he felt. No emotional constipation for this guy. “Look at her, Ben. She’s beautiful.”
I wrinkled my nose, barely glancing at Claudia’s direction as I ordered another drink. If Hiro was going to insist on being the sadsack of the night, I might as well gear up. “All I see is a too tall, too pale blonde girl with a loud mouth and a tendency to drink too many Cosmos and spread lipstick all over your face when you make out.”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Hiro warned, his gaze never leaving the dance floor. “Claudia’s amazing. She’s witty and she loves her brother, she’s smart and she’s running her own business like she always wanted, in spite of her…how can you not like her?”
“Because I don’t! Blonde and bubbly isn’t exactly my type,” I pointed out, throwing my hands up in the air and flapping them around like a bird just to distract Hiro, but the boy had his laser focus on. I was amazed that he managed to keep up conversation with me while using his immense brain power to slowly choke Don from across the room with his thoughts alone. “I’m the guy who doesn’t believe in love, remember? I’m superficial, and I like it that way. And look at me, I’m happy, free, and not stalking an old college girlfriend from across a room,” I snorted.
Just a few feet away from us, I could see Don whispering in Claudia’s ear and making her laugh. It was one of several moves he utilized to get women into his pants. Don had a voice that would make James Earl Jones weep, even Hiro and I had to admit that about him.
But why was Hiro so intent on Claudia again? We hadn’t seen or heard from her (and certain other people I will not mention here) in years. Suddenly it was like we were back in college and I half expected to see everything from behind a bar.
“Are you trying to get back together with her?” I suddenly asked. Hiro turned to me with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. I gasped and slapped my hand over my mouth.
“Seriously?” I asked him. “Seriously? What happened to focusing on the business, dude? What happened to earning enough so we don’t have to bow to the whims Prince Don anymore? I know you really liked Claudia before…”
“It’s Claudia,” he said simply. “How could I not?”
Sometimes Hiro was too romantic for his own good.
“Well, Don’s made a move and now you’re never going to get her back,” I shrugged. I lost the battle, but I knew I was going to win the war. “The man is like girl flypaper. He knows anything and everything about the world, and that’s his hook. They just stick to him, and Claudia isn’t going to be immune to his charms.”
This time Hiro narrowed his tiny eyes at me, and his telepathic choke powers were aimed right at my throat. Fortunately, he had very little power in the real world and I ignored it.
I must have been avoiding his gaze for so long, because the next thing I knew, Don and Claudia were laughing as they came up to us. From the way Claudia saw my face and guffawed, I was pretty sure that my handsome face was the topic of discussion.
“What the hell is going on with you and Bea?” Don asked, hanging an arm around Claudia. I didn’t miss the way Hiro suddenly swallowed the last of his second beer. “Claudia here says you called her a bitch.”
Something clicked in my brain the same way it did whenever I wanted to create something. But instead of creative juices flowing, white hot rage flooded through me, and I needed some way to get it out of my system. It’s better known in other cultures as word vomit. Of this, I was a bona fide master.
“What?” I began, instantly feeling my throat strain at the high pitch only Beatrice Noble could manage to choke out of me. “She was the one who—I mean, I just—-and she—-UGH!!! She called me a dick, then she’s been snarky all night!” I ranted, waving my hands, gesticulating wildly. If there was anything I could do well, it was to gesticulate wildly. I did not feel in control of anything in my body, my mouth included. I just. Could. Not. Stop. Talking.
“I mean come on! What did I do to deserve that? Huh, huh? You tell me! I was just doing my job, and she just kept slinging insult after insult, and I was left standing there, like a fucking target! It’s like…s
he’s gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous, but had to sell her soul to the devil for it, and she prefers to go out of her way to insult me! And I’m the one you’re asking? ME?! I didn’t even—okay? Okay, let’s just, let’s just stop talking about her.”
“O-kay…I was just saying— “
“You know if she were the last woman in this bar, I wouldn’t talk to her. If we were the last people on Earth, I would rather kill myself than be with such a…a…heartless…harpy! And don’t expect that just because somebody here wants to get together with Claudia that Bea and I are ever going to…I’m not planning on kissing her anytime soon!”
“Oh great, because here she comes.”
I jumped, and of course my drink spilled from my hand and dripped all over my shirt. Damn it, it was the last clean shirt I had too. This only proved it—Beatrice Noble is bad for me, and I shouldn’t even be in the same room as her. Without so much as a goodbye, I stalked off to the bathroom to clean my shirt. I could hear Bea, Claudia, Don, and Hiro (the traitor) laughing all the way out.
Beatrice
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Ben leaving the bar to go to the bathroom. He was muttering to himself, scowling as he rubbed against the big wet spot on the front of his shirt where he spilled his drink. He reminded me of a little boy who just got wounded by his own ego. Don lifted his arm from Claudia’s shoulder and took a place next to me, laughing as I sipped my rum and coke. This time his arm came to rest around my shoulders. Don seemed to be incapable of standing on his own two feet without draping himself over some barfly. Lucky for him, I was in a good mood with Ben out of the room and all, so I let him.
“The poor guy,” he said after Ben’s retreating form. “He didn’t see you coming, did he?”
“Oh he should have known I was going to be just a tad upset with him,” I said airily, ordering another drink from the bartender. “What’s a past if it isn’t between two people, right?”
Don seemed to like that, because he smiled that Disney prince smile of his. “You are turning out to be a very fascinating creature, Miss Noble,” he said to me. I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but I took it anyway.
Don gave me a wink before he clapped a hand over Hiro’s massive shoulders.
“Anyway, dude!” He said, and the word was just so out of place for Don that it made me giggle. Or maybe it was the rum and Coke. I did tell the bartender to go easy on the Coke. “I’ve talked to Claudia.”
Hiro blinked once, then twice at Don, like he had absolutely no idea what that was supposed to mean. Don shook his head.
“I’ve talked to Claudia,” he repeated, nudging his head at Claudia then at Hiro before wiggling his eyebrows.
“And Claudia is right here,” I pointed out, waving my best friend’s hand up to demonstrate a point. “Say something, Claudia, before Don does!”
She laughed beside me and walked up to Hiro.
“He told me you couldn’t stop talking about me, and that you’ve pined for me. A lot,” she said, and that I didn’t find too hard to believe. As nervous as she had been about seeing Hiro again, they had nothing to argue about. They had just lost touch, and it was neither Claudia nor Hiro’s fault. To them, this felt natural. It felt right.
“Trust me, I know,” she joked. “So are we going to dance or what?”
“What?” Hiro asked. That seemed to satisfy Claudia, and she pulled him to the dance floor just in time for her favorite song to play. This left me alone at the bar with Don, who was giving me a look that must have attracted girls to him like fly and honey. I pretended not to notice.
“Look at that,” I said, indicating the way Claudia and Hiro were looking into each other's eyes on the dance floor. “There she goes, my best friend, finally with a man! You are a boon to women everywhere, Don Franco. You should start a matchmaking service, seriously. Seduce the women into falling for other men. I think you could make a killing.”
For the first time in my life, Don Franco directed a flirty, playful grin in my direction. This time I was sure that he was giving me a compliment, and this time I welcomed it wholeheartedly.
“I think I should start finding someone for you, Bea,” he said, resting his elbows on the bar and looking at me.
“No thanks,” I guffawed to dismiss his offer. “I told Ben that I was on a diet from men, and I wasn’t lying. Plus, it’s not part of the deal, remember?”
“That’s nonsense, and you know it,” he said, which was surprisingly insightful for him. “And I’m all about going the extra mile for my clientele. What if I asked you out on a date right now?”
“I would probably tell you to shove it up your ass,” I said with a shrug, sipping my beer. “Because I’m pretty sure the last time you tried to hit on me you asked if I was okay with doing a guy despite being a lesbian.”
“I have to admit, that does sound like me,” He admitted, nodding to himself mostly. I really wanted to be away from this conversation, so I feigned an excuse and left Don Franco flirting with the next barfly that he came across. This was getting too weird. Half a day with Benedick Padua in my life and already everything’s gone absolutely topsy turvy. I vaguely wondered if I could say that on our ‘day in the life’ article.
Claudia
By the time Hiro and I made it back to the bar, both Beatrice and Benedick were gone. Don already had a random woman draped over him, and Hiro was happy as a puppy when he handed me another drink. He was so cute I could put him in my pocket. I really could.
“Having fun, friends?” Don asked us, raising his own glass in a toast, which Hiro and I returned. “Bea left fuming and Ben followed without asking if she’d gone.”
“Thank god!” I said, snuggling up to Hiro as he placed a massive arm around me. He’d always been a snuggler, and I loved that it was like nothing had changed between us. “I love Bea, most of the time she can be testy at best, but she’s being such a bitch around Ben! And he retaliates, because they’re both too proud for their own good.”
“Bea is…spirited, I’ll give you that,” Don agreed, nodding. “And she’s really…schooled in her beliefs. I’m all for girl power, but she talks like someone who doesn’t want to be with anyone at all!”
Hiro snorted beside me. “Ben’s pretty much the same way,” he pointed out. Don slammed his hand on the table, making everyone within a three-foot radius jump.
“He and Bea would be perfect for each other!” He exclaimed, suddenly laughing at his own genius. Hiro waved his hand around, shaking his head.
“Oh please. They would drive each other crazy,” He said, laughing. I had no idea if he was being serious or not, but I had to admit, there was something about that idea that appealed to me in a good way. Bea and Ben, even their names went together! They did say that the more you hated someone, the more you really loved them or something. Not that it had to apply to everyone, obviously!
I love Bea, and on the surface it would be crazy to match her with someone she clearly loathed, but she needed this! In the last three years, I’ve never seen her so passionate about anything other than work. Ben brought out something in her that she didn’t seem to have before. And Ben has never given me a reason to think that he wasn’t a great guy. Plus, if Hiro vouched for him, I believed in that.
“Crazy in love,” Don pointed out, wiggling his eyebrows at us. “And I've got the perfect plan. Stick with me guys, and I guarantee you these two will be falling all over each other in love!”
“A toast,” I said, raising my glass. “To Beatrice and Benedick—may they never find out!”
“Kampai!” Hiro exclaimed, clinking his glass with mine.
“Kampai!” Don and I added, and the deal was made.
Chapter 4
Benedick
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD!” I exclaimed, my words babbling out of my mouth as I circled the room and held my poor bleeding hand. I was pretty sure I resembled a chicken running around without its head, blood included. My classmates (or fellow artists as
we were supposed to call them) were certainly looking at me like one. Even the professor seemed a little stunned.
Because, let’s be serious. Who stabs themselves during Printmaking? Yeah it involves carving patterns on rubber, but who stabs themselves so hard that the knife is STILL IMPALED INTO THEIR HAND?
Me, apparently, because my life is like that.
Thankfully, Beatrice was a quick thinker, and immediately jumped up and pulled the knife from my hand, making me howl and scream in pain as blood splashed on the floor. Our teacher and classmates just continued to uselessly watch in awe as Bea produced a handkerchief out of her pocket and pressed it into my hand. OW.
“Owwwww,” was the only thing I managed to say as Bea prodded me out the door and to the clinic.
“What made you think that stabbing knives into rubber would be a good idea for you, Butterfingers?” Bea asked, and she was laughing all the way to the nurse’s station.
“The course syllabus said we were supposed to explore all possible avenues of artistic expression!” I groaned, feeling my legs turn to Jell-o as we walked.
Bea was still laughing as she led me to a nearby bench. I thought I just needed a moment to clear my head and I’ll be right as rain.
We sat together, her forehead so close to mine that if I leaned forward it would look like we were whispering secrets to each other. Her hand was still pressed into mine, with only a handkerchief in between. I could see she had doodled flowers into the space below her thumb.
“These are pretty,” I said, brushing the ink with the tip of my finger. Bea was so close I could feel her breath as she chuckled.
“I think I’m dizzy from the blood loss,” I said, finally giving in to the impulse to lean my forehead against hers. She didn’t seem to mind. “If I pass out, will you carry me to the infirmary?”
“Sure,” she laughed, leaning forward and brushing her lips against mine. Looking back on that moment, with my blood in her hands and my forehead against hers, I thought it was perfect.
We Go Together Page 4