#❛ ix. neon signs & all night drives.

[mrsrcbinscn]

Playlist for Reba! @straythisway

A playlist for Reba trying to make it in Nashville

I. If Only You Played Football As Well As You Play Girls - Maggie Antone

If only you played football as well as you play girls You may not be on the bench Thinking you're the only one in this world

It's giving...a song she'd maybe write in high school.

II. 979 - Ryann Elise

I'm headed for the city full of neon lights, I gotta chase that dream

She left her small town for the city!

III. New Strings - Miranda Lambert

And I'll grab the wheel and I'll point it west Pack the good and leave the rest I'll drive until I find the missing piece

It's giving lil Reba going to the city to have a music career!

IV. Cheap Seats - Emily Scott Robinson

Half way through a busy night I get a song idea to write And I slip out back to get the chorus down Now table twenty-eight is complainin' about the wait And my manager just shakes his head and frowns

For when she's working shitty server jobs that she hates just becaise she needs to pay rent while really she just wants to be an #artist

V. What Else Can She Do - Kaitlin Butts

She left the country with big city dreams running wild in her mind Looking for love or adventure or anything else she could find But her small town pretty didn't play in the city too well And the life that she thought would be heaven now feels more like hell

For when she's having second and third thoughts about leaving home for the city! It's hard out here!

VI. Stay In Your Lane - Bronson Diamond and Greta Stanley

Ꮃe were talkin' Ƴou were talkin' so loud Ⲓ could barely hear the band

Ꮃe were drinkin' Ƴou were drinkin' so fast Ⲓ'm surprised you could even stand

It's giving a song Reba would've written for the Singin' Strays and sung with the male vocalist! It's a witty duet, 10/10 song!

VII. This Town Gets Around - Margo Price

Now the very first manager I ever had He was old enough he could have been my dad He took me out for drinks and talked a big talk He said, "darling sign on the dotted line You know, "kiss my cheek and drink this wine But if you walk on me, then you can just walk

It's about sexism in the industry, how hard it is to be a woman, to not be a nepo-baby, it's quality content

VIII. Letters on the Marquee - Vincent Neil Emerson

Well they ran out of letters on the marquee They can't spell my name

When you're a newcomer and the least important name, catch them spelling it R3ba Str@y on the marquee, for real :/

IX. Fly On The Wall - Jake Worthington and Lauren Watkins

I wanna be a fly on the wall So I could learn how to not run you off And I wanna see how she fits in your arms Does she sleep in the bed that used to be ours? Oh, do you tell her that you love her? When you say it, do you mean it? Or do you treat her like you treated me? Like a fly on the wall

This is another great duet song that could've been one of hers! But also wow, WAS she dating her fellow singer of the band? Who knows :eyesemoji: so it this a good song that's made her money or her story lol

X. Ten Year Town - Hailey Whitters

I'm twelve years into a ten year town I'm too far in to turn around Too old to go back to school Won't be much longer, I'll be old news I thought I'd be a big star now I'm twelve years into a ten year town

For fifteen minutes of fame Somebody says your name on the TV Or back of a CD Waitin' tables another month Waitin' on that break to come All it's ever done is break my heart

Nashville may be known as Music City to most, but to those in the music industry, it's the "10-Year Town." While overnight successes can happen, for most creatives, it's a slow and steady climb if you climb at all — and in Nashville specifically, the story often goes that it takes a decade before catching that big break, but much longer than that, you're kinda SOL, you're old news.

[blstys]

verse tag drop.

[silverfootstepswrites]

title Sweet Memories summary Why have you turned cold? pairing Itasaku

Part i | Part ii | Part iii | Part iv | Part v (here) | Part vi | Part vii | Part viii | Part ix | Part x | Part xi | Part xii | Part xiii | Part xiv | Part xv | Part xvi | Part xvii | Part xviii | Part xix | Part xx | Part xxi | Part xxii | Part xxiii | Part xxiv | Part xxv | Part xxvi | Part xxvii | Part xxviii | Part xxix | Part xxx | Part xxxi | Part xxxii | Part xxxiii | Part xxxiv | Part xxxv | Part xxxvi | Part xxxvii| Part xxxviii | Part xxxix | Part XL (it ends here)

Sakura remembered staring at the windows of all the luxury boutiques growing up. Marveling at all the sparkling things, at the way they had all sat on pillowed displays. And somehow, in her little girl’s head, the hands and feet that went into those things would become just as beautiful. Even the ones of a little girl with a big forehead and a funny-sounding name.

She didn’t know why she suddenly remembered all this as she stood in front of her club. Twilight Dreams was a stupid name and she didn’t know why they had neon palm trees in the sign. There was nothing remotely tropical about the inside of the club or the hostesses who worked there. As they descended the steps leading into the club, Sai held the door open for her.

“Welcome- oh!" greeted one of the newer girls.

She almost slipped by telling her to get that fucking menu out of her face. But she had to remember. It was a different face she had to put on for this place. A different person.

She let her face relax. Shoulders back and high.

“Is everyone hard at work making me rich?” she asked. Laughter exploded in the club from the hostesses.

“Oh Mama! That’s all you think about!”

“How was your trip, Mama? It was with your boyfriend, right?” the girls grilled her as she walked through the club. As she bantered with them, she took the opportunity to look over the customers. Most of them seemed to be civilians. That made sense. She had her boys busy looking into so many things at once. She almost felt a little bad for working them so hard. 

“Set up my table tonight,” she said. 

“Expecting someone, Mama?” asked Moegi, peeking over the back of her booth. Sakura held up her pointer finger to her lips, almost smiling. And though the expression was friendly enough, something in Sakura’s eyes made Moegi turn back around to face her customers. Something secret and strange that she wasn’t supposed to have seen.

Of course, Sakura wasn’t sure if he would show up that night. And he most certainly didn’t. That would have disappointed her anyway. To know that the oyabun of the Uchiha-gumi had so little to do that he spent it wandering into Ginza. To top it all off, this shop in Ginza was in a precarious position. It was on the boundary between the Uchiha-gumi’s territory in the south and the Inuzuka kai’s in the north. The two groups hated each other and took any opportunity to screw each other over. 

It couldn’t have been particularly safe for the kumicho to be seen roaming the area. Although, she knew that the Inuzuka’s probably wouldn’t risk pissing her off too much by shedding blood so close to her shop. Not when she was doing so many favors for them.

But as the days went on, and no one showed, Sakura stopped having them set up her table. She stood in her office instead, watching the streets through that neon glow. Even worrying a little. 

As the winter cold settled over Tokyo, Sai and Tenten burst into her office.

“We’ve got a situation here,” Tenten said. Sakura cast a glance at the door.

“Keep your voices down. You don’t want to scare the customers,” she admonished, flapping her hand for them to shut it. 

“Boss, the head of the Uchiha-gumi’s been shot.”

“Oh,” she simply said. She turned back to the window. Watching the lights flicker. “Do we have any idea by who?” Her hands were very still at her sides. Sai and Tenten exchanged strained looks.

“We’re not 100% sure yet, but it looked like his own men,” Tenten responded. 

“Huh.”

“Boss, if things are getting bad here, maybe you should considering staying in Yokohama for a bit. Just until things calm down,” suggested Sai. He glanced at Tenten again. It was clear that they had rehearsed what they would say beforehand. So that they wouldn’t piss her off. It was sort of working.

Sakura pulled a cigarette from her pocket, held it between her lips. Thought again. Tucked it behind her ear. 

“You know which hospital they took him to?” she asked, grabbing her coat off the back of her chair. 

“Uh, yeah,” Sai said. He barely caught the phone that she tossed at him.

“Get the car and tell him to bring flowers,” she ordered. And then she glanced at Tenten and added, “Tell Mei to make sure to lock up the shop when they’re done. I want you with me.” Tenten nodded, her lips tight.

The drive to the hospital wasn’t too long. They drove along the Sumida River. It was late enough at night that the streets weren’t too packed. Sakura said nothing, arms crossed tight across her chest. Chouji, who had been woken just to drive the car, probably had no idea what was happening. He met her eyes several times in the rearview mirror but he didn’t seem to know how to ask.

When they pulled up to the hospital, Sai barely managed to open the door quickly enough for her. She strode into the lobby, heels tapping against the polished floor. The receptionist was happy enough to let them know which room to go to. 

“Although,” she added in a whisper, “Rumor has it that it’s a big yakuza boss. Be careful, Miss.”

Sakura smiled. 

“I will. Thank you,” she replied.

It turns out that even if she hadn’t asked, she would have found him easily. His was the only room with two huge thugs blocking the door. They still wore black sunglasses indoors. Hands folded in front of them like they were two living walls. 

“Aiya, look at this pok gaai acting like he’s Barack Obama or something,” grumbled Tenten in Cantonese as she noticed their clear earpieces. 

The door to the hospital room opened. Three men stepped out. They all wore suits too. The one at the front though, was wearing one so cheap that it could have been bought at a convenience store. Clearly someone’s underling. Maybe not even really part of the gang yet.

Sai looked over at Tenten. “You know that he’s not the president of America anymore, right?” he said, looking honestly concerned.

“Diu lan lei, I know what I said,” she snapped, raising a hand as if to backhand him. They chuckled together. When Sakura sighed, they quieted down. Sakura knew that their squabbling was only ever half-serious. But sometimes she wished that they wouldn’t be quite so friendly in formal situations like this.

“What’re the Chinese doing here?” he demanded, strutting up to them with his hands in his pockets. Sakura didn’t even know his name- he was that disposable. 

“We’re here to see the kumicho,” Sakura replied in perfect Japanese. She reached into the inner pocket of her coat. His eyebrows went up.

“Oh, the chankoro speaks Japanese pretty well,” he retorted, drawing out his syllables like she was slow. The smile slipped off her face. She took a step closer to him. He froze when the cold tip of her gold gun pressed to his chin. 

“If you don’t get your face out of my face,” she whispered, drawling out each word, “We’re going to have a problem.”

“Step off, Itou. You have no idea who you’re talking to” sighed Sasori from behind them. The shaking idiot took several steps back, his back hitting the wall. Sakura blew a delicate breath onto her gun rubbing it against her coat to polish it. 

“Aunt Cheng. Charming as always,” Kisame remarked. He nudged the two guards blocking the door. They slid apart.

“Go right in. The boss is awake,” he said, gesturing with a polite hand. Sakura paused in front of him. She took a moment to adjust his pocket square. Dusting off his jacket. It was a navy blue pinstripe. Formal but not boring. 

“Look at you. If all yakuza looked this way, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad,” she remarked. Kisame bit back his smile. He dipped his head.

“Thank you, Aunt Cheng,” he replied. 

Sakura motioned. Sai and Tenten followed her into the room. Sai deposited a large basket of flowers on the bedside table. Apparently they were the first to visit because there were no other gifts filling the room. She eyed the light green curtain separating the two beds. And then she looked at Itachi sitting up in his bed. Only some bandages on his right shoulder. He looked surprised but quite cheerful as she stopped at the foot of his bed.

“My, my, Kumicho. Couldn’t even spring for a private room? Maybe I shouldn’t have made you pay me back for my club. Have I brought you into destitution?” she asked, crossing her arms and tilting her head. 

Itachi gave a wry smile. And then he glanced toward the other bed.

“I did it as a favor to you, Sakura. Your boy saved my life. We wanted to make sure he got the best care possible,” he explained. Sakura followed his gaze. When she looked over at Tenten and Sai, they both shrugged. She took a few steps forward, ripped the curtain open. The other bed was empty, but there was someone standing at the window. A fresh bandage on his cheek. 

He had halfway turned to her by the time she recognized him.

“Wai, Mama,” greeted Tommy, grinning like always.  And then he flinched against the pain in his face. His long bleached hair was tangled and dirty. The collar of his shirt was ripped and covered with what was definitely blood. She stared him dead in the eyes. 

“Explain,” she ordered.

Tommy raised his hands in front of him.

“I was talking with daai lou. Out of nowhere, a car pulls up and they start shooting. I managed to get him out of the way. I got a look at one of the guys, but one of them knocked me in the side of the head before I could get in the car. And they were about to shoot me but then daai lou covered for me so that’s how he got shot,” recounted Tommy. He pointed at both their bandages for emphasis.

Sakura’s expression was stony.

“So they got away? And you didn’t have kevlar on or anything,” she asked. Although her tone was remarkably calm, Tenten and Sai both took one big step back from her. As Kisame opened his mouth to ask, Tenten pressed her pointer finger to her lips.

“What the fuck were you thinking!” Sakura demanded. The pride faded from Tommy’s gaze. She drew her arm back and smashed her fist into the uninjured side of his face. Just once.

Everyone stared on in emotions that ranged from boredom to concern. Itachi looked from Sakura to Sasori and Kisame who simply shrugged. And then all their gazes fell on Sakura’s two subordinates. Sai was examining his fingernails while Tenten simply looked on, unsurprised. Like spectators at a particularly dull boxing match.

“Don’t ever pull shit like that and not tell me again,” Sakura concluded. Tommy nodded, hand pressed to his swelling cheek. 

“I’m sorry, Boss. I won’t do it again, I promise,” Tommy insisted, nodding furiously. Blood dribbled down his nose, pooling onto the floor. 

Sakura made an impatient noise with her tongue. 

“Fine. So. Who was it?” she asked. Tommy stared up at her, wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve.

“You said you saw a face so who was it, diu lei lo mo?” she snapped.

“It was some guy with a scar,” Tommy sniffed, still wiping as the blood continued to gush out. “A weird spiral scar. On the side of his whole face.” 

Sakura looked over her shoulder at Itachi. His expression was torn between amusement and concern.

“Does that description ring any bells?” she queried.

Itachi shook his head, looking at Sasori and Kisame. They also shook their heads. Kisame immediately pulled his phone out. 

“But I can find out if someone else does,” he declared, slipping out of the room to make a call. 

Sakura looked back down at Tommy. When Sakura crouched down in front of him, he scooted back toward the wall. She reached into her pocket and he squeezed his eyes shut. They flew back open when she began dabbing at his bloody nose with her handkerchief. 

“Pok gaai. Don’t do anything stupid like this again. If you wanted to be an idiot, you shouldn’t have come to work for me,” Sakura said, her voice back to normal. Calm and even a little gentle. Tommy stared at her, completely frozen.  Sakura reached back with her hand.

“My phone,” she demanded. Tenten quickly pulled it from her pocket to hand it over. 

Sakura pulled up his number from a long list. She called him. As she listened to the line ring, she wiped away the blood on Tommy’s upper lip. Her hand stopped when he finally picked up. She held out the handkerchief and Tommy took it to hold it against his nostril. His blood soaked the cotton dark red.

“Yeah.”

“Boss Inuzuka, have you shot at anyone in Minato tonight?” she demanded. It was noisy in the background. The babble of low conversation running under his voice.

“Hah? You crazy? That’s Uchiha turf. Besides, I’m in Sendai for the anniversary of my old man’s death. No one’s left there but the little brats and they shouldn’t have guns,” Kiba replied. Sakura gritted her teeth. And then there was a pause. The chatter in the background faded, like he was slipping into another room.

“Why?” he asked. Sakura’s eyes darted back toward Itachi lying in his bed. 

“Nothing. But let me know if you hear something.” 

Kiba sighed noisily. “Sounds like you’re getting me involved in some shit. Alright. Fine. Since I owe you.”

Sakura hung up. Rising to her full height, Sakura handed her phone back to Tenten. 

“Inuzuka says it wasn’t him and I believe him. That’s all I’ve got for you, Kumicho,” Sakura concluded, turning toward the bed. She took a step toward him. Itachi didn’t seem the least bit bothered. 

“My men will figure it out. I do appreciate the help, Sakura,” he replied. And then he tilted his head. “Although at what cost. If I remember correctly, your help never comes for free.” She had to agree. 

“You have a good memory. Consider it this way. You bled for my boy. This is how I’ll pay you back,” Sakura declared. She held his gaze, fierce and proud. And to her surprise, he smiled at her.

“You really haven’t changed, Jing-Mei,” he sighed, fondly. 

Before Sakura could answer, her phone rang. She saw the ID and looked back up at Itachi. 

“I’ve got to take this. I’ll be in touch if we find out anything useful,” she told him before she answered. She was already speaking as she walked to the door. Tenten opened it for her.

“Wait, Auntie. What do we do about him?” Sai asked. When she turned, Sai was pointing to Tommy. Sakura covered her phone with her hand.

“Pay the hospital hush money to have them clean this up. Then drop him off at Karin’s place to get patched up. I don’t have time for this when there’s some idiot out there going after my people,” she stated. Sai made a face. 

“Honestly, this blood is all from you. All he had was a little bandage before,” he pointed out. 

She glared at him a second longer before turning her back. Sakura walked out of the room, Tenten hot on her heels. Chuckling, Sai walked over to heave Tommy to his feet. 

“Alright, Tommy boy, first we get a drink, and then I’ll drop you off at the doc’s place,” Sai declared. Tommy looked at him, still a little dazed.

“A drink?” he repeated thickly, swaying. Sai let him put his arm over his shoulder for balance.

“You know, we Jade Gang boys say that you’re not really one of us until Aunt Cheng knocks the shit out of you at least once. Don’t worry. It’s on the boss. I’ve got her credit card,” Sai answered, patting his pocket. He nodded toward Itachi. Who said nothing.

As Sai walked out, half-dragging Tommy, Kisame walked back in. He looked from the smear of blood by the window, to the trail of red droplets into the hallway. It was like a scene from a horror movie. He sighed.

“You know, she’s so sweet and relaxed now. I almost forgot how horrible she can be,” remarked Kisame. Sasori raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” he queried. 

Itachi chuckled. “Jing-Mei and I go way back, before I even took over the Uchiha-gumi. Let’s just say that she’s really, really mellowed out with time.”

“It was just a little graze, Aunt Cheng. I don’t really get why you’re so worked up over this,” admitted Sai over speakerphone as Chouji drove them along the river. Sakura searched for a cigarette in her pockets until she remembered that it was tucked behind her ear. She lit it up, glaring out the window. She could hear Tommy’s drunken singing in the background.

When Sakura was silent, Sai made a guess.

“Is it because it’s the Uchiha? I know you guys go way back...”

Sakura smirked at that. She blew out a long, thin stream of smoke. 

“I’ll admit that I do have somewhat of a soft spot for him. When I first came back to Japan, I ran things the way I did in Hong Kong. Which was fine in Yokohama. But not when I came up to Tokyo,” she recalled. Tenten nodded.

“I remember. the previous head of the Uchiha-gumi couldn’t stand you. He didn’t take it well when you started extorting and fighting on his land. But he was also scared shitless of you,” Tenten stated. 

“And so Yondaime Uchiha Fugaku sent his son to negotiate with me. I wouldn’t take over any Uchiha territory or draw any unnecessary attention. In exchange, I could do my business on their turf as long as it doesn’t hurt any of their dealings. And occasionally they would call on me for a favor. Not a shabby arrangement,” Sakura listed the terms. 

“That was very generous of him,” commented Chouji. 

Tenten snorted.

“Yeah. Well originally he just said stay the hell out. And then Auntie shot up a bunch of their businesses and threw a guy off a bridge,” she said. Sai laughed over the phone.

“And when he said he would help her relocate to somewhere else, she shot four of his subordinates right next to him,” Sai spoke up.

Sakura pretended not to smile.

“You guys make me sound so crazy,” she sighed. But then, cigarette between her teeth, she looked at them.

“Alright, so maybe I was a bit of a loose cannon in the past. But this isn’t some isolated incident. Ketamine deals in Uchiha territory- right under their nose? The Yamanaka-kai trying to get in all sweet with us? And now Kabuto buying up all those new buildings that he definitely can’t afford? Something stinks,” she laid out for them.

They were quiet for a long time. And then Sakura took another puff on her cigarette.

“Although I was also a teeny bit annoyed that someone would shoot at Uchiha. He always buys the most expensive drink when he comes to visit,” she added, tone suddenly light. She thought for a moment.

“Send more flowers over tomorrow. I feel bad that we caused all that fuss when he’s trying to recover.”

“Yes, Aunt Cheng.”

Part i | Part ii | Part iii | Part iv | Part v (here) | Part vi | Part vii | Part viii | Part ix | Part x | Part xi | Part xii | Part xiii | Part xiv | Part xv | Part xvi | Part xvii | Part xviii | Part xix | Part xx | Part xxi | Part xxii | Part xxiii | Part xxiv | Part xxv | Part xxvi | Part xxvii | Part xxviii | Part xxix | Part xxx | Part xxxi | Part xxxii | Part xxxiii | Part xxxiv | Part xxxv | Part xxxvi | Part xxxvii| Part xxxviii | Part xxxix | Part XL (it ends here)

[rileypark]

Ships In The Night Ϟ Self Para

TIME: July 28th to August 6th.

PLACE: NYC

GENERAL NOTES: After the last events in Riley’s life, she gets to spend the week by herself, a great opportunity to think of what’s ahead.

COMMENTS: Riley’s feeling/thoughts are so hard to write because she won’t even share them with me, so this was fun. It wasn’t.

I

The fundraiser extends long past 3am, and it’s such a wide success for Riley that she can’t imagine being able to sleep any time soon due to all the emotions and the adrenaline of the night. She doesn’t see Daina for the rest of the event, even when she catches herself trying to find the woman in the sea of people. She’s never been more thankful to have great, competent assistants reminding her of her itinerary, because she seems to still be in a haze after that kiss. Pathetic, really, she chastises herself mentally. Daina’s probably soundly asleep by the time Riley finishes saying goodnight to all the guests, thanking them for their donations. 

The silence in her bedroom is usually the most welcoming enviroment in her life, the one place she can just be herself, and not this persona she’s crafted so perfectly for her job. But silence this time means her mind is running wild with thoughts she would like to ignore at the moment. She shifts constantly in her sheets, questioning whether to go over Daina’s room and wake her up to discuss everything while emotions are still on the surface, or if she should let her rest considering her early trip in the morning. Her rational side, as usual, beats what her heart desires, but the punishment for it is not being able to sleep until 5am, plagued by unwanted thoughts and haunted by blue eyes.

II

What would Daina and her together would even look like? she ponders over her brunch on Saturday. Her wife was already gone by the time she woke up, and for once, she’s relieved by the fact that she has a moment to herself, just like old times. Her and Daina together would mean nothing but banter, and bad times, she’s sure of it. Now that she’s had a moment to go over everything that occurred between the two, she’s not sure physical attraction is enough to sustain a marriage. That’s all there is at the moment, right? She is mistaking the thrill of the tension between them for something with more depth. She’s more and more certain that, when the time comes for the talk, she’ll be able to stand her ground and decide they’re better off in this awkward semi-friendship state they’re in, instead of risking it all at the chance of a real relationship.

By the time she goes to bed, however, her position has shifted in 180 degrees. Objectively, she’s clearly grown fond of Daina, even if she despises how cliche and predictable the whole situation is. She’s not looking forward to the endless waves of ‘I told you so’ she’ll receive if she chooses to take the opportunity with Daina. She feels her frustration weigh in her throat, a heavy lump, as she usually does when she’s faced with strong emotions and situations she can’t control. When her eyes finally flutter close, all she’s sure of is that she’s been proven once again, that her decision of staying out of serious relationship her whole life was right all along. Everything else is up in the air, including, whether or not she’s ready to venture into something more with the woman she’s married to.

III

On Sunday, she takes Bailey out for what she initially believed to be a quick walk around the block, but turned into an unexpected morning jog. She had never realized just how much energy was contained inside that beast until she was the one being pulled by the leash, ending up miles away from her home. They make it to a small park eventually, and she lets her free to play with the rest of the dogs, keeping the promise she had made Daina to give her some recreational time. As the woman passes through her mind again, she debates whether to call her, or message her, anything after two days of radio silence. What would she even say? she fights back, because she wouldn’t be able to pretend like nothing’s changed between. A nonchalant message would feel anticlimatic when they are due for a long conversation when she’s back. It’s all too much pressure, and Riley’s had trouble relaxing any time she’s reminded of it. She’s thankful for Leila’s husband, Sam, and his timely interruption, joining before she can act on her impulse. They chat for a while then, and it’s nice enough to vanish any thoughts of the blonde from her mind.

IV

The week is easier to survive, as she buries herself in her work, feeling much like herself again, in power, her mind sharp making the most pertinent decisions regarding business, with that critical thinking she can’t seem to translate into her personal life.  

V

Her and Daina just make sense, it’s the thought on Tuesday, and it’s either thought number 7 or 20 regarding this whole situation. She’s sort of losing track already. They’re both intelligent, hardworking, goal oriented, beautiful women. They would be a power couple, in all aspects. She’s attracted to her, without a doubt, and if she were to try and open up just slightly, there’s a chance that things could be good for them. Great even. After all, she’s a risk taker at work, why would her personal life be any different? She can feel the excitement bubbling up, convincing her she should go for it. That all sounds ideal, except when she’s reminded that she’ll have this woman prying into her deepest secrets and feelings, seeing her at her most vulnerable, and suddenly she remembers why she’s so against it in the first place, her heart tightening at the thought, arms moving closer to her chest in a subconscious attempt to protect herself. It’s not as if she hasn’t dated for long periods of time in the past, she’s not incompetent. She managed to last a good amount of time with her previous girlfriend, but even then, they were both in agreement that their relationship was temporary and completely focused on having fun for the time being, with no promises of a future together. On the other hand, there’s obviously a big, obnoxious, neon sign with the words “forever” attached to her and Daina. It makes all the difference.

VI

She walks past her music room on the way to the library on Wednesday, when she stops in her tracks, suddenly noticing the piano in the corner, the same piano Daina is so drawn to. It gives her an idea, and before she can talk herself out of it, she makes the right calls to ensure her plan is set in motion. She’s not confident Daina would even approve of her spending so much money on a surprise for her, their money issues seem still unsolved, like everything about them. But she can’t think of a better peace offering, that much she’s certain of. She wants that, more than anything. Whether they end up falling in love with eachother or not, they need peace for the challenges to come.

VII

It’s late on Thrusday, and she’s feeling uneasy, struggling to get some sleep again, when she pulls up her phone, helpless to get any rest. She goes over her extensive contact list, filled with business related people, until she finds the name she’s looking for. She feels her heart pound faster, not only because her mind wanders off briefly to San Francisco, but because she’s embarrassed by the mispelled name she hasn’t changed since that horrible first encounter. That’s how terrible she's been acting because of a stupid unfair law. She couldn’t take back all those unpleasant moments, even if she wanted to, but she knew the future could look different if she tried just a little harder to not be a complete bitch. Finally, she changes her wife’s contact from “Diana” to “Daina”, a small gesture, and she feels completely ridiculous for doing it --though she’s more embarrased for keeping it for so long out of spite-- but she thinks it’s a start. She’s not sure what stops her from texting her about it, but when she wakes up in the morning she’s particularly happy for her restraint.

VIII

Saturday is filled with a sense of dread, she’s been counting the days until Daina comes home as if she was counting down to her death. She busies herself with Bailey again, who’s obviously missing her mom and is acting especially clingy with her substitute mother. She takes her to the scheduled vet appointment she promised Daina she would go to, before they kissed senseless in the middle of her kitchen, of course. She knows, thanks to one of her maids, that Daina’s been facetiming her dog, so at least it’s a reassurance that the blonde is very much alive and coming home to have this talk sooner rather than later. The dog behaves like a saint with the vet for her check up, thankfully, and she feels weirdly proud of a pet than isn’t even hers to begin with. Riley on the other hand, paces uncomfortably at the sight of needles for the duration of the appointment. As they drive back home, the idea of potentially spending time with both Daina and Bailey in the future passes through her mind. Perhaps hiking would be an activity everybody would enjoy. Her hand rests atop Bailey’s back, drawing lazy patterns as she’s catches herself smiling at the thought. It doesn’t so too bad, after all.  

IX

The news of her firm establishing a business deal overseas comes on Sunday, and it makes for the perfect night of celebration. She hasn’t been able to stop reminding herself of the impending conversation she’s going to have with Daina in a few hours, when she’s back from San Francisco, and she’s not going to say no to an opportunity to clear her mind and ease her anxiety. The Marquee Nightclub is one of her favorite places and the perfect venue to do so. It’s past 2am, and the party is in full swing when she’s alerted by a friend that her phone is vibrating in her bag. Her annoyance grows, fumbling inside her purse to find the phone, wondering who could possibly be calling so late at night. 

She stares at the screen while her phone vibrates in her hand, freezing as the name of her wife --rightfully spelled this time-- lights up in front of her. Thinking of their time difference, she wonders briefly if it would be smart to answer a call someone’s making so close to midnight. Bad things happen in night calls, people can get embarrassingly clingy and sad when it’s their bed time. She wasn’t ready to deal with that side of Daina, especially when she’s had a few drinks and she’s less likely to remain in control. Her thumb ghosts over the button for a couple of seconds, and against her better judgement, she slids her finger to accept the call, excusing herself from her group of friends, to find a better place to talk. Bringing her phone to her ear, she can hear a similar enviroment coming from the blonde’s end, and she furrows her eyebrows in confusion before speaking. “It’s late” she states bluntly, making her way to the bathroom. The distress she can hear coming from Daina’s voice make her stomach twist in the most uncomfortable way, and she’s completely bothered by the fact that she’s let this woman affect her in such way already. “Are you okay?”

[blstys-a]

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