Chapter Text
"maybe I would have been something you'd be good at. maybe you would have been something I'd be good at."
“I mean really, she ordered the house red,” Bela groused as she bit into her chicken wing.
Castielle looked over at her and frowned. She knew from years of experience that she would never understand Bela Talbot, no matter how hard she tried. “What’s wrong with the house red? I get that all the time,” Cas asked.
Bela groaned and took another bite of her chicken, chewing delicately on the meat even though her fingers were covered in BBQ sauce. “Of course you order the house red, dear. But I forgive you, you’re an artist, it’s all you can afford,” she said with a sweet smile.
Cas rolled her eyes. As much as she wanted to be offended by Bela’s remarks, she found that she couldn’t bring herself to bother. She had spent far too much time with her and had come to realize that Bela was never mean on purpose, she was simply brutally honest, and even though her words would sometimes sting, they tended to be true. Cas knew where Bela was coming from and she knew the kinds of things she expected on dates. Apparently, ordering the house red was another thing to add to that list.
“I’m guessing you slept with her?” Cas asked dryly.
Bela scoffed as she reached for another chicken wing. “What kind of girl do you think I am, Cas? For God’s sake…” she said, her voice trailing off.
Cas squinted and rounded on her. “You did, didn’t you?” she pressed.
Bela’s cheeks had the faintest tinge of pink to them and she quickly took a bite of her chicken. “Well…I mean, I’m not a nun, am I?” she sputtered indignantly.
Cas laughed and reached for her beer. “You can’t keep it in your pants. You lost the bet, fair and square,” she said happily.
“This whole thing was ridiculous and I don’t even know why I agreed to do it,” Bela huffed.
“The point was to prove that you can’t date, Bela, and that’s okay. Monogamy isn’t for you. I still love you,” Cas teased.
Bela growled and continued to eat her chicken wing in sullen silence, mulling over her defeat.
Cas sighed happily as she settled back into the plush couch cushions. If there was one thing she enjoyed about coming over to Bela’s apartment, it would have to be the furniture. Bela spared no expense when it came to comfort, and splurged on the most expensive things she could find. Cas took another sip of her beer and closed her eyes. Just thinking about her own apartment made her shudder. In reality, her apartment wasn’t terrible, she simply found it harder to appreciate the smaller space and cheaper furniture when she was lolled off on a couch that probably cost more than everything she owned three times over.
“What do I have to do again?” Bela asked finally.
Cas opened her eyes and looked over at her friend. She grinned. “I need a model,” she said sheepishly.
Bela groaned and threw down her chicken bones into her plate. “I’m not going to have to be naked, am I?” she asked.
Cas laughed. “Only if you want to be. I was gonna pay someone to sit in for me this weekend but…you’ll do just fine,” she said as she licked her fingers clean.
Bela muttered something below her breath and shook her head. “Fine,” she grumbled. She reached forward and set her plate on the coffee table before getting up and stretching. “Oh my, would you look at the time,” she said with a yawn.
“All that losing got you worn out?” Cas asked with a wink.
“Oh shut it, you,” Bela grumbled as she padded out of the living room. “Get you another beer?” she asked.
Cas drained her Stella and shook her head. “No, I think I’m good,” she said. She leaned forward and slid her plate onto the glass coffee table, picking up a napkin and cleaning off her fingers. When she was done, she pulled out her phone from her pocket and went into her Inbox, searching for the girl who had responded to her Craigslist ad for a part time model. She found it quickly, and tapped the screen, watching as it began to dial.
“Hello?”
Cas sucked in a breath. She felt unwelcome butterflies brush against the inside of her stomach when the girl’s voice came through her speaker. “Hey, is this Dee?” she asked.
“Yeah, this is she, who’s asking?” the person asked brusquely.
“This is CC…I had talked to you earlier about sitting in for me this weekend for some things for my portfolio?” she said.
“Oh, oh, CC. Right, yeah, sorry I didn’t recognize your number. If you’re calling to confirm then yeah, I’m still interested.”
Cas’ heart sunk into the pit of her stomach and she made a face. She hated being the bearer of bad news of any kind, and even though she and this girl didn’t have any type of contract set in stone, she still felt terrible about telling her that she didn’t need her anymore. The amount of beer in her system wasn’t helping either, if anything, it made her feel worse.
“Hello?”
“Oh hey, sorry about that…look I…I’m really, really sorry but I think I found someone else to stand in for me this weekend,” she said. She heard a little sigh and she cringed.
“Oh…well that’s too bad. I was looking forward to the extra cash,” Dee said sadly.
“I know, and I’m so sorry, it’s just that I found someone who would do it for free so…”
“Oh, no I get it, it’s totally cool,” Dee said.
Cas chewed on her bottom lip, unable to ignore the hurt in the girl’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Well listen, if you ever need a model, I’m available. You should save my number.”
Cas chuckled and nodded. “Will do. Thanks.”
“Yeah don’t mention it. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”
“Yeah, totally—” she stopped short when she realized that the girl had already hung up.
Bela came back into the living room and plopped back down onto the couch, worming her way over to Cas. “Cas, do I really have to model for you?” she whined.
Cas nodded and slipped her phone back into her pocket. “Yes, I’ve already canceled my other session so, get ready,” she said with a smug smile.
Bela groaned. “You’re the absolute worst,” she mumbled.
Cas grinned. “I know.”
“You know, I’m beginning to think that this challenge wasn’t at all fair…you’re…you don’t understand what it’s like…you preyed on my weakness for pussy,” Bela said with a pout.
“Well obviously I did. That’s how the best bets are made, aren’t they?” Cas asked.
Bela stared at her for a moment, her eyes unfocused and then she sat back, a smile curling on her lips, very much like the Cheshire cat’s grin. “Well then, I have a proposition for you,” she said. She threaded her fingers together and cleared her throat.
Cas shifted and turned to face Bela. “Which is?”
“A one night stand,” Bela said simply.
Cas scoffed at her. “A one night…oh come on Bela, I have those all the time,” she said. She rubbed the back of her neck and hoped that Bela didn’t notice.
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying,” Cas countered.
“Oh really? When was the last time you got some tail, Cas? I mean really?” she asked.
Cas made a face but didn’t respond. Truth was, she could remember the exact last time she had hooked up with someone. It had been over six months ago. One of Bela’s friends, Balah. They had met at Bela’s birthday party and somehow ended up back at Cas’ place where they had drunk sex. It wasn’t even satisfying, if Cas recalled correctly, and she clearly remembered seeing the girl scrutinizing one of her prints that hung on the wall in the living room with a confused expression on her face. “I’ve just hit a bit of a dry spell, that’s all. Too busy working,” she said.
Bela laughed, a light airy thing that seemed to tinkle throughout the room. “Yes, is that what you call it. I seem to recall Balah,” she said with a smirk.
Cas groaned and swung her legs off the couch. “Yes, Balah, what kind of name is that anyway?” she snapped.
“It’s short for Balthazar. Her parents really wanted a boy. I think it’s Hebrew or something,” Bela said with a shrug.
“I know that,” Cas said through her teeth. She picked up her plate and her beer bottle and walked out of the living room towards the kitchen. She threw her chicken bones into the garbage and put her plate in the sink before putting her bottle into the recycle bin. When she turned around she nearly jumped out of her skin. Bela was standing in the kitchen, arms folded across her chest, leaning up against the fridge. She had a cruel looking smirk on her face as she observed Cas.
“A one night stand, Cas. I’m sure you can do it,” she teased.
“Yeah, I’m sure I can,” she said angrily.
“No need for you to get defensive. I know how hard it is, being a serial monogamist, and not being able to fuck without commitment,” she said.
“I can fuck without commitment,” Cas said.
“Right, and I’m the Queen of England,” Bela said, rolling her eyes. “Come on, be a good sport, I played your game, now you play mine,” she said.
Cas swallowed thickly and turned on the faucet. She wasn’t sure if she was interested in playing any of Bela’s games. She kept her gaze focused on the plate in her hands, washing off the remnants of her dinner, the little flecks of meat and BBQ sauce slid off the plate and into the sink. She weighed her options. The pros of the challenge would be, of course, sex. The cons would be…having to deal with finding someone to have sex with, having a one night stand, and you know, sex. She sighed. Maybe Bela was right, maybe it was time for her to be a good sport, Bela, after all had agreed to her challenge, albeit she was drunk when she agreed but still, she went out on a date, and she tried.
Perhaps Cas could try too.
“And what do I get if I win?” Cas asked, trying not to sound too interested.
Bela hummed and tapped on her chin. “Well…I suppose I could arrange for you to use a nice studio…you know…a professional one. For your photography and what not,” she said with a little shrug.
Cas placed her plate on the dish rack and turned to face Bela. “What do you mean a ‘professional one’?” she asked as she made air quotes with her fingers.
Bela laughed and walked over to her. She gently patted Cas’ cheek and squeezed it affectionately. “Aren’t you just a peach. A studio, studio. One of those fancy ones, you’ll get equipment…lots of space, lovely natural light…I’ll pay for everything. All you have to do is…well you know what you have to do,” Bela said.
“It kind of sounds like prostitution,” Cas said flatly.
Bela laughed again, the sound akin to that of a wine glass shattering. “Oh darling…come on, what do you say?” she asked.
Cas chewed on her bottom lip and stared up into Bela’s eyes. The offer was tempting. A full studio, equipment, all paid for at her disposal. She reached for a dishtowel and dried her hands before planting them on her hips. “One fuck.”
Bela clapped her hands together excitedly and she smiled. “One fuck. And then you never speak to her again. Simple, elegant, to the point.”
Cas sighed dramatically. She wasn’t sure what exactly was simple and elegant about a one night stand, in her experience, they were never any good, at least not for her. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said wearily.
Bela giggled. “It’s for a good cause. Think of all the lovely photos you’ll have in your portfolio,” she said smugly.
Castielle smiled wanly at Bela and rolled her eyes. “You’re just a regular Mother Teresa, aren’t you?”
“Oh you know me. Always willing to lend a helping hand.”
“Bennie, I need a tuna melt, whole wheat bread, American cheese, and go easy on the mayo,” Deanna snapped as she slid the ticket on the counter.
Bennie poked her head through the window and frowned. “What crawled up your ass and died?” she drawled.
Deanna rolled her eyes and walked over to a large display case that held several pies, as well as a variety of different cakes. “Nothing,” she said moodily, as she opened the glass door. The shelves inside immediately stopped rotating and she reached in to cut a thick slice of Strawberry Shortcake.
“Yeah, right, I know you better than you think, Winchester, what’s wrong?”
Deanna muttered something below her breath as she slid the cake onto a saucer. “Krissy, table three!” she said to the younger girl sitting on a stool at the end of the counter.
Krissy looked up from her phone and made a face. “Yeesh, no need to get your panties in a twist,” she said as she got up from her seat.
Deanna planted a hand on her hip and fumed. “Yeah, well I’m in charge of this shift, and if you want to have another one tomorrow, then I trust you’ll put that damned cell phone away and go wait on your tables,” she said angrily.
Krissy shot her a dirty look as she picked up the plate and walked away, muttering something below her breath.
“Dee,” Bennie said softly from behind her.
Deanna turned around and sighed. “What?”
Bennie observed her for a few moments and then shook her head. “You wanna take a break? I can man the—”
“You can man the counter and work in the kitchen at the same time? Bennie unless you’ve somehow developed the talent to be in two places at once then I don’t think that’s—”
“Alright, Alright,” Bennie said softly. “It was just a suggestion. I’m gon’ make that tuna melt now,” she said, retreating back into the kitchen.
Deanna groaned softly and stared regretfully at the now-empty window. Bennie was one of her best friends, she was one of the sweetest, kindest girls she had ever met, and always looked out for Deanna, no matter what. Deanna hated being mean, she hated being cranky but try as she might, nothing could snap her out of the funk she had been in since that girl had called her earlier today to cancel their weekend session. She wasn’t even sure why she was so bothered. It wasn’t like she was going to make a lot of money from the shoot anyway. The ad had said something like $60 bucks, but still, that was an extra $60 bucks that she could have used for food, or to put towards her rent which was looming in the distance.
She wasn’t broke. She lived comfortably enough, splitting the rent and the bills three ways with Bennie and Charlie. They had somehow managed to snag a nice three bedroom apartment on the third floor of a building with an elevator, a working one at that. Her younger sister Sam was away at college, doing quite well and making a name for herself at Stanford where she was currently cruising by on a full ride.
And though Deanna could safely say that for the first time in a long time she was…in a good place, so to speak, she knew that she wouldn’t be satisfied until she was working at a place of her own.
Ever since her and Bennie had graduated from Culinary school, they had been saving money and biding their time, working at the diner, picking up all the extra shifts along with whatever odds and ends they could find. It had been grueling, but they both knew that the end result would be worth it: a place that they could call their own, being their own bosses, and of course: baking the most delicious cakes and pies in Brooklyn.
Allowing her irritation to bleed out through her hands, she began to wipe down the counter, listening to the general hum of the diner. There weren’t many people out tonight, and she watched as Krissy seamlessly flit between the tables, pouring cups of fresh coffee and making sure they were all doing okay. She jumped when Bennie rang her bell, perhaps a little harder than usual and she quickly turned around to grab the sandwich when she saw a familiar face in the kitchen window.
“Ellen?”
The older woman smiled at her warmly and winked. “Hey there,” she said.
Deanna frowned. “What are you doing here? You aren’t scheduled to be in for another hour.”
Ellen shrugged and walked out of the kitchen, holding onto a plate with the tuna melt. “I didn’t have anything to do so I figured I’d come in early and give you a break,” she said. “Krissy! Get your butt over here!”
Deanna watched quietly as Krissy came over and took the tuna melt from Ellen without so much as a peep.
Ellen picked up the rag that she had been using to clean and began to wipe up the counter. “You can go home now, honey. Get some rest, you deserve it.”
Deanna wanted to be angry. She wanted to be upset about the fact that Bennie had called Ellen and asked her to take over her shift, but she was so tired, she couldn’t bring herself to be mad. Instead she quietly untied her apron and shuffled into the kitchen to hang it up and grab her things from the closet.
“You’re fucking terrible, by the way,” she said as she walked past Bennie.
Bennie gave her a shrug and an innocent look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said with a little smile.
Deanna opened the closet and pulled out her jacket and her purse. “Yeah, sure.”
Bennie watched her as she shrugged on her jacket and zipped it up. “You need a break, Dee. You’re spreadin’ yourself too thin. At least this way you’ll get some time alone in the apartment, just relax a bit.”
“And what are we gonna do about the hour I’m gonna miss here, huh? Did you think about that? That’s a whole hour’s worth of pay that…” her voice trailed off and she sighed.
Bennie crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow. “What’s the use of the money if you’re dead, Dee? You’re gonna work yourself into exhaustion…I’m tellin’ you. Slow, down.”
If there was one thing Deanna didn’t know how to do, it was ‘slow’. She had become so used to being constantly in motion, hopping from one job to the next, the thought of slowing down to relax made her dizzy. “How do I relax, Bennie?” she asked tiredly. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.
“Draw yourself a bath, just don’t fall asleep in it,” Bennie chided.
Deanna yawned despite herself and nodded. “Fine, I’ll see you later then,” she said as she headed for the back door.
“See ya,” Bennie said before turning back to the stove.
Once outside, Deanna pulled out her cell phone, shivering from the chill lingering in the air. She scrolled through her contact list and hit the call button when she found the one she was looking for. She looked up at the darkness above her, and she could see some stars twinkling, barely visible in the night sky.
“Hello, Envy, this is Tamara speaking how can I help you?” the person asked in a clipped, British accent.
“Hey T, it’s Deanna.”
Immediately, Tamara’s entire demeanor changed. “Dee, what’s good? Are you swingin’ by tonight, I could really use your help.”
Deanna frowned and glanced at her wristwatch. It was only eleven, and even though she was tired, she wasn’t that tired. “Hell yeah, I just left The Roadhouse, I’ll be over there in twenty,” she said.
“Excellent. See you soon.”
Deanna hung up and slipped the phone back into her pocket. She knew Bennie would be furious with her if she knew that she had just taken a shift at the bar, but she didn’t care. At least it would make up for the time that she could have spent working at the diner. She shoved her hands into her pockets and headed in the direction of the subway.