Chapter 1: BAIL OUT!
Chapter Text
Waverly was gonna kill Chrissy the next time she saw her.
Sure, that was probably a little harsh, but seriously, who sets up their “best friend” on a blind date with a loser?
Well, they may not be a loser, but considering that they were almost a half hour late, they certainly weren’t making a very good case for themself!
Waverly sat back in her chair and sipped her water with an annoyed sigh. Ten more minutes and then she was getting the hell out of here. She may not have much going on during her weekends, but her time was definitely more valuable than this! When Chrissy had offered to set her up with someone at the company she was doing some contract work for, Waverly’d expected someone that at least understood the value of punctuality.
Her phone vibrated on the table, a text from her sister.
Wynonna 🥃:
How’s the date?
Waverly sighed again and set her glass down to type out a reply.
Waverly 🌊:
Don’t know. Hasn’t started yet. Been waiting almost 30 minutes.
Wynonna 🥃:
Seriously?! Asshole! You wanna come hang out?
Waverly 🌊:
I’m giving it 10 more minutes, then I’m out.
Wynonna 🥃:
Alright. If Asshole does show up and is a total dud, you know what to do.
Waverly smirked, knowing exactly what Wynonna was talking about.
The “Bad Date Bail-Out”.
A perfect solution to any shitty date that needed to end immediately. If either of them needed a quick escape, all they had to do was text “BAIL OUT!” to the other one. Within five minutes, they’d be getting a call about some “emergency” that the other one had made up to get them out of the restaurant/bar/bedroom. It was a way for them both to look after each other, and it had also become a little game to see who could come up with the wildest “emergency” to call with. So far, Wynonna had yet to top Waverly’s “I mistook your weed gummies for my vegan gummy bears and I am FREAKING OUT” call, mainly because Waverly had been very convincing, but she swore she’d one-up her eventually.
Waverly 🌊:
Hopefully it won’t come to that, but keep your phone handy.
Wynonna 🥃:
Hehe, you said “handy”.
Waverly rolled her eyes with a fond smile and laid the phone in her lap.
Five minutes later, Waverly was grabbing her purse to leave when someone burst into the restaurant and looked around frantically. They spotted Waverly and rushed over.
“Waverly?”
Waverly nodded, prompting the stranger to stick her hand out.
“Nicole. Nicole Haught.” The redhead said with a relieved smile. “I’m so sorry I’m late. Work ran longer than I’d planned.”
Okay. Well. She was cute, at least.
Though, “work ran late”? Seriously? That was the best she could come up with?
Whatever.
“Nice to meet you, Nicole.” Waverly’s smile was reserved as she shook the panting woman’s hand.
“You too.” Nicole sat in the opposite chair as she caught her breath. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
“Only about thirty minutes.” Waverly mumbled, causing Nicole to wince and rub the back of her head.
“Sorry.” Nicole grimaced.
Waverly watched her for a minute, almost expecting a little more explanation for her tardiness.
“So, uh…you’re friends with Chrissy?” Nicole ventured, fidgeting with the napkin in front of her. “How long have you known each other?”
Well, this was going great.
“Since elementary school.” Waverly replied, managing to give Nicole a sincere smile. She seemed to be trying, what was the harm in giving a little?
“Oh, cool!” Nicole nodded. “She’s, uh, been pretty great around the office. She’s a hell of a contract lawyer.”
Christ on a bike, was this woman seriously talking up Chrissy while on a date with her best friend?
“Yeah, she’s really good at what she does.” Waverly said, silently thanking God when she spotted their waitress hurrying to the table.
Until the waitress enthusiastically hugged Nicole from behind. Then Waverly was convinced that God was either taking the day off or laughing hysterically at her.
Maybe both.
“Oh my GOD, Nicole, where have you been?” The waitress teasingly scolded.
“Sorry, sorry! Work’s been kinda crazy right now.” Nicole said with a sheepish laugh, clearly more comfortable now than she was before.
“Uh-huh. Work. I’ve heard that one before.” The waitress rolled her eyes.
So, apparently Waverly wasn’t the only one that she’d used that “work” excuse on.
“Well, I’d better see you Tuesday.” The waitress said with a warning look. “I think I’ve finally got that dumpling recipe down, but I won’t know for sure until you try it.”
“I promise, I’ll be there.” Nicole’s eyes were big and sincere. “I’d never miss Tuesday nights.”
Waverly felt like she was gonna be sick. Was this woman seriously making dinner plans with another woman right in front of her?!
In fact, how old was this girl?! She looked no older than seventeen.
“Anyway! What can I get you two?” The waitress suddenly seemed to remember that she was at work, her pad and pen coming out of her apron to jot down their orders.
“The soup of the day is fine.” Waverly said as she handed over the menu, her appetite pretty much nonexistent at this point.
“You got it!” The waitress nodded before turning to Nicole. “Your usual, Nic?”
“Yeah, thanks Rach.” Nicole smiled.
Oh, great. Apparently Nicole and the waitress were on a “nickname” basis. And a “usual order” basis.
“So, Waverly.” Nicole refocused her attention on Waverly now that the waitress had run off. “You…uh…you like soup?”
Waverly inwardly took a deep breath.
Nicole facepalmed. “I’m sorry! God, I’m apologizing so much, I’m really sorry! I’m just…ugh, sorry, I’m kinda nervous.”
Waverly gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile…
…While she stealthily grabbed her phone from her purse and started texting her sister.
Waverly 🌊:
BAIL OUT!!!
Wynonna 🥃:
On it, Babygirl!
Waverly almost cried in relief when her phone immediately began to ring.
“Sorry, it’s my sister, I have to take this.” Waverly smiled apologetically as she put the phone on speaker. “Hey, Wy, I’m kinda busy right-”
“Babygirl, I’m really sorry, I know you’re on a date, but I need you over at Gus’s place pronto.” Wynonna’s voice was out of breath and almost frantic. “The pipes in her kitchen burst and apparently it’s like Noah’s flood over there. I’m headed there now, but I’m gonna need another pair of hands.”
Waverly sighed as if she were disappointed. “Wynonna, are you sure you can’t handle it?”
“I’m sorry, Wave, I really need your help.” Wynonna sounded genuinely apologetic.
Damn, Wynonna must have been taking acting lessons, she was really selling this.
Waverly huffed as if Wynonna were twisting her arm. “I…okay. Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“You’re the best, babygirl.” Wynonna said before ending the call.
Waverly set the phone down and gave Nicole her best apologetic look as she flagged down the waitress. “I’m so sorry, Nicole, but I gotta cut this short. Apparently my Aunt Gus is having a plumbing issue.”
“No, no, I totally understand.” Nicole’s look was earnest. “I’m sorry, we’d have been a little further into this if I hadn’t been late.”
“Well, you couldn’t help it.” Waverly shrugged before turning to the waitress. “Can you bring the check, please, and I’ll pay my half?”
“Wait, no.” Nicole jumped in, pulling her card out and handing it to the waitress. “Here, Rachel, just put the whole bill on my card.”
Waverly blinked, admittedly taken by surprise. “Oh, you don’t have to do that-”
“I really do, though.” Nicole’s shrug was sheepish as the waitress, apparently named Rachel, hurried away. “You had to wait around because I was so late, and it sounds like you’re about to go deal with a hell of a headache. Paying for dinner is the least I can do. I just hate I was so late. That acquisition meeting ran so much longer than I expected, and it’s kinda bad form for the owner of the company to go running out the door mid-meeting, you know?”
Wait.
Acquisition meeting?
Owner?!
Oh, dammit, maybe that “I was working late” excuse wasn’t actually an excuse?
“Oh, it’s…um…” Waverly stammered a bit, her brain needing to reboot for a moment. “It’s completely fine! I should get going, God only knows what kinda mess Wynonna’s gonna make of things if I don’t get there soon. She’s not exactly a professional at this kinda thing.”
“Heh, yeah, I get that.” Nicole rubbed the back of her head. “Can I at least walk you to your car? The area’s pretty safe, but I’d still feel terrible if something happened because you were distracted.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake, why did she have to wait until after Waverly had sent the “bail out” text to suddenly turn into the perfect date?!
“Y-yeah, yeah, that’d be great!” Waverly hoped her smile didn’t look like the grimace she was trying to hide.
Thankfully her poker face must have held out, because Nicole was up and offering a helping hand before she could blink. Waverly allowed herself to be lifted to her feet and started walking with Nicole out to her car.
“Listen, I don’t wanna be too forward.” Nicole started. “But I did a little handyman work in college, and I have a bit of plumbing experience. Nothing crazy, but if you need help, I’d be happy to lend a hand?”
Waverly wanted to scream. No. Scratch that. She wanted a friggin’ time machine to go back ten minutes and not send that damn text!
“Oh, you’re sweet, thank you!” She struggled to keep her voice from cracking. “But, my Aunt Gus gets pretty territorial about her house and she’s probably really upset as it is.”
“No, yeah, I get you!” Nicole nodded. “I don’t think I’d want a total stranger stomping through my house while it’s flooded either.”
Nicole reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card, offering it to Waverly. “Well, if you need some plumbing recommendations, here’s my number! I can probably get you a discount with some of my contacts.”
Waverly took the card and read it.
Haught Shield Security.
FUCK!
She knew that last name sounded familiar!
She’d spent the last half hour stewing at Chrissy for setting her up with a “loser”, only to find out that this “loser” was the owner of the biggest security company in the province.
Fan-fudging-tastic.
And as if God had decided to add one more cherry to the poop-sundae, out came that waitress waving Nicole’s card.
“Nic, don’t forget your card!” Rachel called as she handed it over.
“Thanks, Rach! See you Tuesday?” Nicole checked.
“You’d better be there!” Rachel gave her another hug before dashing back into the restaurant. “See ya, sis!”
“...Sis?” Waverly croaked.
“Well, foster sisters, technically.” Nicole shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck. “I was about to age out when my foster parents got her, and she was pretty young, but we kept in touch and we’re really close now.”
She shouldn’t ask.
Waverly knew she shouldn’t ask.
But she couldn’t help herself.
“...So…your Tuesday dinner?” She ventured.
“Family dinner.” Nicole nodded, not realizing that the woman in front of her was about two seconds from a complete breakdown. “Mark and Angie, my foster parents, like to keep tabs on us. So, family dinners every Tuesday.”
Waverly was gonna drive her car off the nearest cliff.
It was the only way to atone for her idiocy tonight.
“That’s so sweet!” She said, thankful that her voice didn’t break from the weight of her desire to ram her head into the nearest hard surface.
Nicole shrugged. “Yeah, I appreciate how much they care. Didn’t have a lot of that growing up before I met them, you know? Anyway, I should let you get going, but please call if you end up needing a plumber!”
Waverly watched Nicole turn to leave with a friendly smile, and before she could think twice, her mouth opened. “Nicole?”
Nicole paused and turned, a questioning look on her face.
“If I don’t need a plumber, can I still call?” Waverly asked.
Nicole’s responding smile was blinding.
“Absolutely.”
She winked and gave her a jaunty wave before walking off, leaving Waverly with a pleasant little flutter in her chest. She got into her Jeep and started it up, pulling out of her parking space and heading towards home.
She definitely needed booze and sister time, but admittedly not for the reasons Wynonna was gonna assume. Her phone dinged with a text, but since she was driving she decided to ignore it until she got to the Homestead. It was probably Wynonna gloating about her creative “emergency”, anyway.
Finally, she made it to the Homestead and checked her phone.
It was Chrissy.
Chrissy 🍆:
Hey! Sorry for keeping Nicole late, that meeting was a BITCH! Hope you’re having fun, she’s pretty great!
Waverly stared at the text for a few minutes…
Before lowering her forehead to knock against her steering wheel over and over and over again.
The repetitive “HONK”s of the Jeep’s horn would eventually coax Wynonna out of the house to save her sister from permanent brain damage.
Chapter 2: And Now I am Become Error, Destroyer of My Love Life
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“It’s not funny, Wynonna!” Waverly huffed, throwing a pillow at her cackling sister.
“Come on, Babygirl, you gotta admit it’s a little funny!” Wynonna wheezed. “I mean, you had all the signs of a shit date going, and the second you text me, she turns into a perfect gentleman? Only you, Babygirl.”
“Yeah, only me.” Waverly grumbled as she rested her head on the back of the couch and stared listlessly at the ceiling. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Hey, you’re not an idiot.” Wynonna turned serious for a moment. “You just misread. It happens.”
“I feel like I didn’t really give her a chance.” Waverly admitted. “I think I went into it expecting it to be bad and it, I don’t know, it’s like it became my own self-fulfilled prophecy.”
“Oof.” Wynonna grimaced into her whiskey. “Well, to be fair, you were waiting a long-ass time for her to show up. Can’t really blame you for letting that color how you saw the rest of the date.”
“Still!” Waverly pouted.
“Babygirl, relax.” Wynonna reached over to top off her glass as she spoke. “So you fucked up, big whoop, you’re human just like the rest of us. You said you got her number, right?”
“Yeah.” Waverly’s head lolled to the side, allowing her to look over at her sister with a furrowed brow.
“So, text her.” Wynonna shrugged. “Set up another date. Get back on the Haught.”
“It’s ‘get back on the horse’, Wynonna.” Waverly said.
“I know what I said.” Wynonna snickered, prompting Waverly to roll her eyes. “No but seriously, just text her. See where it goes.”
Waverly sat up and grabbed Nicole’s business card off the coffee table, eyeing it pensively as she turned it over in her hands.
“...What if she doesn’t wanna talk to me?” Waverly asked, her voice soft with an uncharacteristic uncertainty. “I mean, I did fake a family emergency to get out of a date with her, that’s not exactly leaving things on a high note.”
“Well, she doesn’t know you faked the emergency.” Wynonna pointed out. “And she doesn’t have to know, for that matter.”
“That feels…” Waverly’s bottom lip tucked its way between her teeth. “...Kinda dishonest.”
“It’s definitely dishonest.” Wynonna replied. “But, hey, some of history’s greatest romances are built on dishonesty! Look at Romeo and Juliet!”
Waverly’s brow furrowed in confusion as she waited for Wynonna to elaborate.
“...You know, he lies to get into the party, and then he sees Juliet and then we get the balcony scene?” Wynonna explained, her arm flailing to emphasize…something, Waverly assumed.
“Okay, two things.” Waverly said. “First, I’m shocked that you know that much about Romeo & Juliet .”
“Hey, I know artistic shit! I’m cultured!” Wynonna groused. “And also, DiCaprio was hot in that movie.”
“You’re way too old for him, Wynonna.” Waverly pointed out.
“I’m 27!”
“Exactly.”
Wynonna grumbled and slumped back in her seat, cradling her glass of whiskey.
“Second, you do remember how that play ends, right?” Waverly raised an eyebrow.
“...Oh, right.” Wynonna’s face twisted in realization. “Okay, so it wasn’t the best example, but my point stands! I’m sure there’s some epic romances out there that started with a little white lie.”
“I can’t help but think that ‘hey, I totally faked an expensive plumbing emergency because I thought you were a shit date’ is a teensy bit more than a little white lie.” Waverly said.
“Okay, sure, but anything sounds bad if you say it like that!” Wynonna’s arm resumed its unfocused flailing.
“I literally just said it exactly how it was.” Waverly pointed out.
“Exactly!” Wynonna nodded. “Don’t say it like that! In fact, just don’t say it at all! Just text her that you’re sorry again that your date got cut short and let it go from there. Live in the moment! Carpe diem, and all that!”
“You’ve been watching Dead Poet’s Society again.” Waverly smirked.
“Robin Williams is a goddamn treasure, may he rest in peace.” Wynonna raised her glass in salute.
Waverly did the same. “Cheers to that.”
They clinked glasses and sat back and sipped, the silence settling around them like a comfortable blanket.
“...You really think I shouldn’t say anything?” Waverly asked, that uncertainty back in her tone.
“I don’t think it’ll serve anything to tell her, Babygirl.” Wynonna rested a hand on Waverly’s knee.
“But what if she finds out later?” Waverly took Wynonna’s hand in hers.
“Well, it’s not like I’m gonna tell her, and I’m the only one besides you who knows.” Wynonna shrugged. “And if she finds out later on, then it’ll just be a funny story that you tell people years from now.”
“Or a Reddit post full of people saying that I’m horrible and a monster and she should dump me and run far away.” Waverly started, horrified, out into the middle distance as the thought crossed her mind.
“That’s it, gimme your phone.” Wynonna reached over and snagged said phone from where it sat on the couch arm farthest from her.
“Hey!” Waverly put her tumbler on the table and dove towards her sister, who was keeping her back with her foot on her chest as she unlocked her phone and started fiddling with it one-handed. “Wynonna, seriously, give me back my phone!”
“This is for your own good, Babygirl.” Wynonna said, fiddling with the phone while sipping her whiskey in an impressive display of fine motor skills. After a moment, she locked the phone back and tossed it towards Waverly. “There. Problem solved.”
“What did you do?!” Waverly frantically unlocked her phone as she spoke.
“I deleted Reddit off of your phone.” Wynonna said as she leaned back with a casual smirk.
Waverly stared at her for a moment, before grabbing the nearest pillow and flinging it at her cackling sister’s stupid face.
“Asshole!” Waverly pouted. “I don’t have the frickin’ password anymore!”
“Like I said, for your own good.” Wynonna said with all the gravitas of a wise elder. “That website was messing with your perception of reality.”
Waverly flopped over onto the couch arm, willing her racing heart to slow down. “You’re still an asshole, but at least you didn’t do something really dumb like-”
DING!
Waverly’s heart leapt into her throat as she heard her text notification go off. She sat there for a moment, still and silent, before looking at Wynonna.
“Please tell me you didn’t.” Waverly begged as her cruel sister smirked.
“For your own good.” Wynonna reiterated with a triumphant sip of her whiskey.
Waverly swallowed past the lump in her throat as she timidly unlocked her phone and checked her text messages.
Waverly 🌊:
Hey, it’s Waverly. Sorry again about tonight!
Haught Stuff 🥵:
No worries, hope there wasn’t too much damage to your aunt’s place!
“How?! How did you even manage to memorize her number?!” Waverly was torn between terror and admiration. “You saw her card for all of two seconds!”
“I have many skills.” Wynonna smirked. “Oh, we should totally do a Xena marathon this weekend!”
“Wynonna!” Waverly barely kept her voice from escalating to a full shriek. “I don’t wanna talk about binge-watching plans, I’m kinda having a crisis right now!”
“No, you were having a crisis five minutes ago.” Wynonna said. “A crisis of the ‘shit or get off the pot’ variety. I fixed it. You’re welcome.”
“I’m going to bed.” Waverly scoffed, hurling one last pillow at Wynonna before stomping up the stairs.
“You’ll thank me tomorrow.” Wynonna’s smug voice drifted up the stairs behind her.
Waverly slammed the door and threw herself onto her bed with an annoyed huff.
She definitely wasn’t gonna be thanking Wynonna tomorrow!
The next day, Waverly considered getting Wynonna flowers.
Well, maybe not flowers. Not really her sister’s style.
Maybe she could find a donut shop that makes one of those edible arrangements?
The point being! Maybe she owed Wynonna a ‘thank you’ after all.
After waking that morning, Waverly had finally texted Nicole back, careful to keep any mention of Gus’s kitchen as vague as possible. Just a little “Yeah, thankfully it wasn’t as bad as we thought, anyway how was your night?” to address it and quickly move on.
Thankfully, Nicole seemed to be cool with the subject change and had joked that it was certainly less exciting than Waverly’s. It had made Waverly giggle and reply back, which had made Nicole reply back. And back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth.
And now here Waverly was, three days after her disaster date, texting Nicole almost non-stop. About inconsequential things like two squirrels fighting over an acorn that she’d seen one morning. About deeper things like NFTs being the biggest scam in modern history. And about everything in-between.
Well.
Not about the date.
Definitely not about the date.
Or about a future date, for that matter.
That’s not saying that Waverly hadn’t thought about it. She’d written out the message “Hey, do you maybe wanna try again? This Friday?” on her phone multiple times in the last few days, deleting it every time before she could work up the courage to send it. She couldn’t help it. Broaching the topic of her biggest facepalm in years scared her. Asking Nicole out on another date scared her.
Really, Nicole scared her.
She didn’t know exactly why, to be honest. But something about the redhead made her start second-guessing everything. Maybe it was because she had misread things so badly when they first met, and now Waverly was a little gun shy about screwing up again. Clearly her people-reading skills were in need of some work, what if she had been right the first time and Nicole wasn’t worth shit?
What if she’d been wrong the first time and Nicole was worth everything?
And also, why was she getting so damn invested?! She’d only spent a total of about fifteen minutes in this woman’s presence, how was Waverly over here thinking about “forever” and stuff like that?!
It was so reckless, Waverly seriously considered just pulling away entirely. But…she just couldn’t.
Every time she began to have doubts, Nicole would send her a funny gif, or text that she hoped she was having a good day, or message her a corny joke that Waverly couldn’t help but giggle at. And just like that, she’d be back on the hook again.
Eventually, like everything else lately, the choice to bring up the date or not was taken out of Waverly’s hands when Nicole brought it up.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
Hey, I meant to say, I really am sorry for how I was on our date.
Waverly’s brow furrowed in confusion because…wasn’t that her line?
Waverly 🌊:
What do you mean?
Haught Stuff 🥵:
Just…I know I was really awkward.
Waverly bit back a small smile. Yeah, Nicole had been awkward and at the time it had annoyed her. But now, having gotten more time to chat with her, Waverly found the redhead’s awkwardness endearing.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
I haven’t dated in a while, with the business taking up so much time. And Chrissy really talked you up.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
And honestly you were WAY prettier than I imagined.
Waverly squeaked and felt her ears burn from the force of her blush.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
OMG, I hate myself for saying that! Ignore me! Sorry! 😅
Waverly rubbed her cheek with her hand as if trying to rub away the blush and quickly replied before she overthought it.
Waverly 🌊:
Why are you apologizing for calling me pretty?
Haught Stuff 🥵:
IDK, I’m just
The speech bubble appeared and disappeared and reappeared for a few minutes.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
You’re just so pretty, and I like you so much.
Waverly felt her breath leave her chest, the grin spreading across her face.
The texts suddenly came rapid-fire.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
OMG I’M SORRY!
Haught Stuff 🥵:
IGNORE THAT!
Haught Stuff 🥵:
I’m such an idiot for saying that!
Haught Stuff 🥵:
BRB, gonna go die of embarrassment now.
Waverly 🌊:
Please don’t die, lol.
Waverly bit her bottom lip as she typed out her next message.
Waverly 🌊:
I like you, too.
Nicole didn’t reply for a few minutes, and Waverly had a brief moment of panic that she’d somehow misread the situation…again!
Thankfully, another text came through.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
Really?
Waverly released the breath she was holding.
Waverly 🌊:
Really.
Waverly paused, thinking hard. Finally, with a muttered “fuck it”, she sent her next message.
Waverly 🌊:
And I think you’re really pretty, too. 😉
There was another pause, and then Nicole replied.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
Oh. Wow.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
I’m really glad I’m in my office. If anyone saw how red my face is right now, they’d probably call an ambulance, lol.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
Honestly, as much of an ass as I made of myself, a part of me kinda thought you weren’t gonna bother with me.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
I know I wasn’t exactly at my best.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
But I’m really glad that you did.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
Text me, I mean.
Haught Stuff 🥵:
omg I’m rambling again. Sorry!
Waverly grinned at her phone like an idiot.
Waverly 🌊:
Please don’t apologize for rambling.
Waverly 🌊:
I think it’s cute 🥰
Haught Stuff 🥵:
Holy crap. How’d I get so lucky?
Haught Stuff 🥵:
You’re, like, perfect.
Waverly felt a stab of guilt. Because here was Nicole, being the sweetest person ever and talking about how wonderful Waverly was. And meanwhile, Waverly had been such an asshole that she’d written the redhead off as a loser before she’d even gotten the chance to know her.
She wanted to say so much.
“I’m really not that perfect.”
“I was an ass, too.”
“Can we try again?”
Waverly 🌊:
Hey, it’s a bird!
Waverly 🌊:
It’s a plane!
Waverly 🌊:
It’s a TOPIC CHANGE!
Haught Stuff 🥵:
Lol! Thank you, I’m seriously floundering here!
Waverly 🌊:
How was the family dinner? Did Rachel get the dumplings right?
Right away, Nicole went off about how great the dumplings were. She raved about her baby sister, bragging about how she was gonna be a world-class chef someday. How Nicole had been gently encouraging her to think about culinary school. How incredible she would be if she went for it.
Nicole raved about her sister with all the pride in the world.
While Waverly stewed in her guilt.
The next morning, Waverly didn’t hear anything from Nicole. Which, wasn’t that big of a deal, right? She was a busy woman, she had a company to run.
Waverly definitely wasn’t overthinking the silence.
“So.” Wynonna started as she flopped onto the couch with Waverly, who was bent over her phone staring at the screen intently. “I don’t know if you realized it at the moment, but when I said I was saving you from that ‘shit or get off the pot’ crisis, the plan was for you to shit or get off the pot. Or…on the ‘Haught’, I guess. I dunno, this metaphor’s running away from me, can you just ask the woman out already?!”
“First off, please don’t ever mention poop and my love life in the same breath ever again.” Waverly side-eyed her sister.
“No promises if we ever talk about Chump again in the future.” Wynonna shrugged.
“Second…I don’t think I can do this.” Waverly admitted.
“What are you talking about?!” Wynonna huffed in exasperation. “You’ve been glued to your phone all week, you get the stupidest smile on your face when you’re texting her, and clearly she’s into it based on the ungodly amount of texting you two do. You’ve clearly got something going, why not jump in?”
“I think she might be too good for me.” Waverly said, tossing her phone on to the coffee table with a sigh.
“No such thing.” Wynonna said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“I’m serious, Wynonna!” Waverly argued. “She’s so nice, and sweet, and just the kindest person. She bragged about her sister’s cooking last night, and all I could think about was how I didn’t wanna give her a chance. I feel like such a shit-ticket.”
“Babygirl, you gotta stop beating yourself up.” Wynonna’s voice softened. “Yes, you messed up, but you’ve realized that and you wanna do better. It was an understandable mistake, and you don’t need to keep carrying it everywhere. If it’s really bothering you, then come clean, but don’t keep making excuses just because you’re scared.”
Waverly stared at the phone in silence. After a moment, she spoke.
“Do you think she’ll hate me if I tell her?” She leaned into her big sister, who wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.
“It doesn’t sound like this chick’s got a hateful bone in her body.” Wynonna said. “If you wanna keep it a secret, then keep it a secret. I won’t judge you for it. But if you wanna come clean, then I’ve still got your back. Just tell her the truth, admit you screwed up, and give her the chance to decide what she wants to do.”
Waverly wrapped her arms around Wynonna’s waist. Wynonna allowed the hug to go on for a bit, before she pulled back.
“But hey.” She looked Waverly in the eye. “If you decide to tell her, you should do it face-to-face. And by that, I mean-” She poked Waverly’s forehead with her next three words. “On. Your. Date!”
Waverly smacked her hand away, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips.
“Seriously. Put your big girl pants on, call her, and ask her out.” Wynonna said. “Sometime today, it’s not even been a week and I’m already sick of Pining Waverly.”
“Jackass.” Waverly muttered with a fond roll of her eyes.
“But a correct jackass.” Wynonna nudged her shoulder with hers. “Now. Go get her, Babygirl.”
“...Okay.” Waverly nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Hell yeah!” Wynonna cheered and dropped a kiss on Waverly’s temple before hopping to her feet. “And if it all goes well, we’ll celebrate by binging Xena this weekend!”
“And if it doesn’t go well?” Waverly asked with an amused eyebrow raise.
“Then we’ll commiserate by binging Xena this weekend.” Wynonna shrugged. “She’s a versatile lady.”
Wynonna’s phone rang.
“That’s Dolls.” She said as she checked the caller ID. “I gotta take this. And when I’m done, you’d better be ready to tell me you have a date on Friday.”
Waverly nodded and watched her sister stomp off into the kitchen, chatting with Dolls as she went.
She took a deep breath and picked up the phone.
Wynonna was right, she had to go for it. And a call would be better than a text.
Also, she really wanted to hear Nicole’s voice.
The phone rang a few times, and at one point Waverly wondered if calling during Nicole’s business hours had been a bad idea. Then she heard her voice.
“I was wondering if you were gonna call.”
Nicole’s voice was more serious than Waverly expected, and it should have been a warning sign, but Waverly was too anxious to focus on it.
“Nicole! Hey!” Waverly licked her dry lips and tried to keep her voice from cracking. “You, uh…you got a minute?”
“...I suppose so.” Came the reply.
“Okay, cool! Cool. Uh, awesome! So. Um.” Waverly clenched her free hand to control the trembling. “How, uh, how are you?”
Silence. For a moment, Waverly thought she’d lost the call.
“So, I’m guessing this means you don’t know.”
Waverly’s brow furrowed, confusion overriding her nerves for a brief moment.
“Don’t know what?” Waverly shook her head. Focus! She needed to do this! “Actually, Nicole, listen. I called because I wanted to ask you-”
“Waverly, can I stop you for a moment, please?” Nicole’s voice was firm, though there was still an underlying gentleness that Waverly had come to associate with the redhead.
“Uh…okay, yeah. What’s up?” Waverly felt her throat close. Something was wrong.
“I think it might be best if we lost each others’ numbers.” Nicole said, ripping the air from Waverly’s lungs.
“Wait, what?! Why?!” Waverly’s mind was running fast with panic. “Nicole, what’s going on?!”
There was another pause. Then Nicole’s next words caused Waverly’s heart to drop.
“I met your Aunt Gus today.”
Notes:
#ReadMoreFic
Chapter 3: The Best Remedy for a Dumpster Fire is Gasoline! ...Wait-
Notes:
Forgive them, readers, for they are silly and afraid of happiness.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Previously, on “Bad Date Bail-Out”:
“I think it might be best if we lost each others’ numbers.” Nicole said, ripping the air from Waverly’s lungs.
“Wait, what?! Why?!” Waverly’s mind was running fast with panic. “Nicole, what’s going on?!”
There was another pause. Then Nicole’s next words caused Waverly’s heart to drop.
“I met your Aunt Gus today.”
– Earlier that day –
Nicole licked her dry lips as she sat in her truck, nervously wringing the steering wheel as she worked up her nerve. When Chrissy had mentioned that she’d left some paperwork at her Purgatory office, Nicole had readily volunteered to make the drive to get it.
Because Chrissy had already been working so hard, and she was needed at the office.
And Nicole had been sitting at the desk all week and really needed to get out.
And really, it wasn’t that far out of Nicole’s way!
…And also, she maybe kinda definitely wanted to see Waverly.
Granted, Nicole was aware that there was a possibility Waverly wasn’t working today, but as she sat outside of the rustic-looking bar with the huge “Shorty’s” sign, she couldn’t help the hope that had simmered in her chest since this morning when she volunteered to drive out from the city. Because what if she was here? What if the woman that had consumed Nicole’s every thought for days was waiting for her, just beyond the saloon doors?
Well. Not “waiting”, per se. Waverly had no idea that Nicole was in town, after all.
That was kinda the whole point of a surprise.
Okay, focus up, Haught! Run through the plan again!
Step 1: Go into the bar.
Step 2: Hopefully surprise Waverly.
Step 3: …
…Okay, so, she hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Fuck it, I’ll wing it.” She muttered as she aggressively unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. “I run a business, how hard can it be to talk to the prettiest, smartest, funniest woman I’ve ever met?”
She shut her truck door and blew out a deep breath as she rubbed her palms together rapidly.
“Okay.” She muttered as she locked her truck. “Let’s do this.”
She opened the door and walked into the bar with a confidence that she was definitely not feeling.
She scanned the room and felt a stab of disappointment when she didn’t see Waverly.
“Dammit.” Nicole muttered as she shoved her hands in her pockets.
“Well, would probably look weirder if I just walked out.” Nicole shrugged as she walked over to the bar and grabbed a stool. After a few minutes of looking at the chalkboard above the bar, a gray-haired woman trotted over.
“What’ll it be, Red?” She asked. “You look like a whiskey person.”
Nicole laughed. “Normally yes, but I have to drive back to the city soon, so, can I get a cappuccino to go?”
“Ah, dammit.” The woman groused with a little smirk. “Here I was thinking I was gonna like you, and then you make an old woman have to use that damn machine.”
“Sorry.” Nicole rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
“Nah, don’t worry about it.” The woman waved her off. “Just don’t be disappointed when it ain’t all that good. My niece is a lot better with this new fangled thing, but she ain’t in today.”
“As long as there’s caffeine in it, I’ll appreciate the effort.” Nicole said with her most charming smile.
“Alright, alright.” The woman swatted at her with the towel hanging on her shoulder. “Put them dimples away, I’ll get your coffee.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Nicole said. Then something the other woman had said suddenly pinged in her head. “Your niece…that wouldn’t be Waverly, by chance, would it?”
“I see her reputation precedes her yet again.” The woman replied, her back turned as she wrestled with the machine. “You one of Waverly’s friends?”
“Something like that.” Nicole shrugged. “So, you must be Miss Gus?”
“Just Gus, thank you very much.” Gus said, her gaze focused on the coffee she was trying to make.
“Right. Sorry.” Nicole drummed her fingers on the bar top. “So, how’s your kitchen?”
Gus paused and looked over her shoulder at Nicole. “That some kinda line you kids use nowadays?”
Nicole’s brow furrowed in a confused laugh. “No, no, I meant your actual kitchen. I’d heard the damage wasn’t too bad, but if you need some help with repairs, I know some really good plumbers.”
Gus, if possible, looked even more confused. “Girlie, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
She turned and set the to-go cup in front of a now-baffled Nicole. “Maybe you need this caffeine more than you thought.” She joked as she stepped away to take care of another customer.
Nicole stared at her coffee, utterly perplexed at the conversation she’d just had.
“But…” She mumbled, trying to parse together what kinda weird-ass episode of the Twilight Zone she’d just ended up on. “But, Waverly said…”
“The Earp bitches got another one.” Came a voice a little bit behind her, and she turned to see a muscular guy with gelled hair and a beer in his hand, looking at Nicole with a look of pity.
“I’m…sorry?” Nicole asked.
“Lemme guess.” The man said as he clambered onto the stool beside Nicole, slouching over the bar top like he was commiserating with an old friend. “You were on a date with Waverly, then she got a call from her sister, and suddenly there was some big emergency that she had to leave and take care of right away. Does that sound familiar?”
Nicole felt the bottom of her stomach drop out.
Because. Yeah. That did sound familiar.
“And I bet she was all ‘sorry’ and ‘I hate that I have to go’ about it, right?” The man took a swig from his beer and set it back on the bar with a heavy ‘THUMP’.
Maybe Nicole should have taken Gus up on that whiskey, after all.
“You don’t gotta answer, I can see it on your face.” The man gave her a knowing look that she really didn’t like. “That’s a thing they do. Her and her sister. They get you on a date and the second it ain’t going the way they want, they’ll text the other one and have them call with a fake emergency. It’s their way of getting out of dates when they decide you’re a waste of their time.”
Nicole was gonna be sick.
Waverly…had lied? But…she was so nice. She seemed so sincere when she said she needed to leave. She had really seemed apologetic when she’d run out of the restaurant.
But.
If they’d really done this as often as it was beginning to sound, then was it so hard to believe that it had made Waverly a good actress?
But.
Waverly was still texting her. Every single day. Didn’t that count for something? Yeah, the emergency was a lie, but maybe it was one that Waverly had come to regret? Why else would she be texting so much?
“If it makes you feel any better, they’ve done it to a lot of folks.” The man patted her shoulder, his hand heavy and sweaty in a way that made Nicole want to scrub that shoulder with bleach. “Waverly even texted me for, like, a week afterwards. Guess she wanted to let me down easy, or something.”
This wasn’t Purgatory, Nicole immediately realized.
This was Hell.
She was in the worst kind of Hell: the one where the devil himself, clad in cheap cologne and too-small jeans, was looking at her and going “I been there, sister”.
“Hey, for what it’s worth, you’re pretty hot.” Said ‘devil’ shrugged with what he likely thought was a reassuring nudge to Nicole’s side. “I’m sure you’ll find someone else. I mean, I’m not into redheads, but there’s someone for everyone, right?”
“...Right.” Nicole mumbled, standing and throwing a twenty on the bar before stalking out.
“Hey, don’t forget your-” The man’s warning was cut off when he knocked the cappuccino over. “...whoops.”
“Dammit, Champ!” Gus stormed over, yelling at the cowering man. “Who the hell let you sit here?! I told you, the bar is for grown ups!”
– And now, back to your crisis already in progress –
“Nicole, I can explain!” Waverly said, her voice tinged with panic.
“Explain what?” The hurt became clearer the more Nicole spoke. “That you lied to me? That apparently I was such a shitty date that you had to fake an emergency to get away from me? I know I wasn’t exactly at my A-game, but you couldn’t just tell me you weren’t feeling it? You had to make up a whole damn catastrophe?”
“I…I’m so sorry!” Waverly wasn’t sure what else to say.
“Did you have fun?” Nicole asked. “Was it a fun little game for you? Make up the biggest lie you could to see how gullible the idiot lesbian is, and then keep her on the hook by texting her all week? What was your plan, exactly?”
“Nicole, I swear, there was no plan!” Waverly paced the room, running her fingers through her hair as she pleaded for the other woman to listen. “And it wasn’t like that! I was calling to ask you on another date so I could-”
“So you could stand me up?!” Nicole was clearly beyond reason, right now. “So that was the plan?! Invite me on another date, leave me sitting there like a dumbass, and laugh about it with your sister?! Is that how you did all the other people you pulled this crap with, or was I just a special case?!”
“Nicole, hold on, that’s not what was happening!” Waverly was almost impressed at how much malice Nicole had extrapolated from the situation. “I was calling to ask you out again because I realized how badly I’d messed up!”
Nicole went silent, and Waverly took it as a chance to explain her side.
“I jumped to conclusions about you.” Waverly’s words were rushed and jumbled, and her hands shook like crazy, but she was determined to get this out. “And I was wrong! I thought you were irreverent and rude and that you were hitting on the waitress, and-”
“You thought I was hitting on my fucking sister?!”
Well. Apparently Nicole had found her voice again.
“I didn’t know she was your sister!” Waverly defended. “I just saw someone hugging you from behind and then you were telling her you’d go to dinner with her and-”
“And you thought that I was such an asshole that I would plan a date with someone else right in front of you?!” Nicole asked. “You made that judgment call about me, what, less than 30 seconds after meeting me?!”
…Okay.
So.
That was a pretty good point.
“Well, in my defense, you were a half hour late for our date!” Waverly said, her voice beginning to rise as she grew more frustrated with the situation. “It didn’t exactly give a good first impression!”
“I told you that I got held up at work!” Nicole’s voice began to rise, too.
“I know you did! And I know now that you were telling the truth, but I’ve heard that so many times, I just thought you were making an excuse!” Waverly argued.
“So you date a bunch of lying shitheads, and I have to pay for it?!” Nicole asked. “And how goddamn ironic is it that you thought I was lying, and meanwhile you actually did lie!”
“Yes! Okay?! Yes, I get it!” Waverly exploded. “I was a shit-ticket, and I did exactly what I thought you were doing! Call me Alanis Morissette, because I’m the freakin’ queen of irony! But Nicole, please just hear me out-”
“Oh, so you want me to give you the chance that you didn’t give me?!” Nicole said.
Waverly went silent.
Because. Well. Yeah. That was exactly what she was asking for.
“I know that I don’t deserve it, Nicole.” Waverly said, her voice soft as the anger disappeared, leaving her deflated and pained. “I know that what I did hurt you really badly, and I’m so sorry. Please, can we just meet and talk about this? What we have…you can’t tell me that you don’t feel it, too.”
Nicole was silent again, and Waverly could practically hear the gears turning in her head.
“Please.” Waverly begged, slumping back onto the couch as her eyes began to sting. “I don’t want to throw away something that I’m realizing could be really special. I almost did because I was being so stupid, and then I was so lucky that you replied when my sister sent that text. I’ll do anything, just please, please give me another chance?”
The silence stretched for so long, that Waverly briefly worried that Nicole had hung up on her.
And then Nicole spoke.
“...You didn’t send that text? It was your sister?”
Waverly closed her eyes as she realized too late what she’d said.
“I was afraid to.” She admitted. “I thought you wouldn’t want to talk to me, that maybe I should just leave it. But then my sister…she grabbed my phone and…but I’m glad that she did, Nicole. She pushed me because she could see how into you I was and how horrible I felt about what I did. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t honest with you, but I’m being honest now. I really, really want to try this with you. I want to try again. I want to give you the chance I should have given you that night.”
Nicole took a shaky breath, and Waverly heard the frustration and hurt in her words as she spoke.
“I don’t like lying, Waverly.” She said. “I had an ex, someone I really thought I was gonna be with forever, and she’d lie to me all the time. About little stuff at first. That she was running late for our date because of traffic. That she lost a scarf I’d gotten for her that I knew she didn’t really like anyway. That she got caught up talking to friends, and that’s why she was so late getting home. That the woman texting her at all hours of the night was just someone from work asking about a project.”
Nicole’s voice became firm again. “The lies got bigger and bigger. Because that’s what lies do. They snowball. I can’t be with someone if they can’t be honest with me.”
Waverly’s mouth fired off before her brain could stop it. “Oh, so now who’s paying for a shitty ex’s behavior?”
Silence.
Waverly grimaced, really wishing she hadn’t said that. “Nicole, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I-”
“No, I think it’s best that you did.” Nicole replied. “For what it’s worth, you’re right. I felt it, too. Goodbye, Waverly.”
Waverly dropped her phone onto the couch and buried her face in her hands.
“Stupid.” She muttered to herself, tugging on her hair in frustration. “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid…”
Notes:
#ReadMoreFic
Chapter 4: So, I'm an idiot. You're an idiot. Let's just be idiots together!
Summary:
A chase. An origin story. A nut shot. And a second chance.
Notes:
Okay, so. I hadn't planned this chapter to be this long, and I almost decided to go all Solomon on this shit and just cut it in two. But, I told everyone it was 4 goddamn chapters and no goddamn Google Doc was gonna make ME a liar, goddammit!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Waverly’s head rested heavily on the bar, her face blank as she stared at the half-empty whiskey in front of her.
“Angel, I don’t wanna tell you how to handle…whatever this is,” Gus said as she folded her arms and rested them on the bar. “But I feel I should warn you that there’s likely some residue on that bar top that you definitely don’t want in your hair.”
“Ooh, if you get crap in your hair and have to cut it, you should shave it into an undercut!” Wynonna piped in from where she was stocking beers in the fridge in preparation for the day. “You would look so badass with an undercut!”
“I should just shave it all off.” Waverly mumbled into the wood. “What’s one more shitty choice on top of all the other ones I’ve made lately?”
“Eh, you could probably rock the G.I. Jane look, too.” Wynonna shrugged.
“Wynonna!” Gus whapped her with her towel. “Stop trying to enable your sister’s bad decisions!”
“It’s not a bad decision!” Wynonna protested. “She’d be cute as hell bald, look at her!”
They both looked at the bent-over woman who was still lamenting into the bar top. Gus gave Wynonna a pointed look.
“Okay, so, yeah, she doesn’t look very cute right now.” Wynonna admitted, palms out in a placating gesture. “But give her a haircut and a pint of vegan ice cream, and she’ll be fine!”
“I don’t want a haircut. Or vegan ice cream.” Waverly whined. “I want Nicole.”
“Oh, Angel, I’m sorry.” Gus said, rubbing Waverly's arm sympathetically. “I feel like I messed it up for you.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Gus.” Wynonna cut in. “It was my idea not to tell her about the lie, this is on me.”
“No, it’s on me.” Waverly said as she sat up with a sniffle. “I shouldn’t have lied in the first place, and I shouldn’t have kept the lie going. I should have just come clean from the start. She hates lies, so it makes sense she hates me, too.”
“Angel, I don’t think she hates you.” Gus rounded the bar and sat by Waverly’s side.”She got her pride and her feelings hurt, and she lashed out. Personally, I think it was a bit of an overreaction, but emotions are…well…”
“A bitch?” Wynonna offered.
“...Yes. Emotions are a bitch.” Gus sighed.
Waverly huffed as she propped herself up with her cheek on her fist, her free hand tracing the rim of her whiskey glass with a finger. “I miss her. How sad is that? It’s only been a day, and I hate not being able to text her. I’ve been re-reading our texts like some kind of lovesick loser.”
“You’re not a loser, Babygirl.” Wynonna gently stopped her. “You really like her, and you’re frustrated because it feels like it all blew up before it had a chance to become something.”
“Because it did blow up!” Waverly smacked her palm against the bar in frustration. “It’s not fair! I was planning to tell her! I wanted to invite her out, have the date we should have had from the start, and then tell her everything! No more secrets! That was the plan!”
Waverly grabbed the whiskey and tossed it back in one gulp, slamming the glass back on the bar top.
“And then Champ freakin’ Hardy got there first and painted me in the worst possible light!” She spat. “If I could just…just have one more chance to explain everything. If I could turn back time…”
“If you could find a way?” Wynonna grinned, ducking when Gus threw a box of napkins at her in response. “Geez, sorry! No one appreciates a good Cher reference, nowadays.”
Wynonna stalked off, muttering about the lack of respect for the “Queen of Camp”, while Gus turned her attention back to Waverly.
“Waverly, I know I’m just an old woman.” Gus said. “But can I give you my opinion on all this?”
“I already know what you’re gonna say, Gus.” Waverly pouted. “You’re gonna tell me it isn’t worth getting this upset over, I’m too good for her anyway, there’s plenty of fish in the sea, blah blah blah. I don’t wanna hear that crap.”
“Good, because that wasn’t what I was gonna say.” Gus replied, the firm tone in her voice stopping Waverly in her tracks. “Now, do you wanna hear an old woman’s advice, or not?”
“Yes, Aunt Gus. I’m sorry.” Waverly apologized, sitting up and giving Gus her full attention.
“It sounds to me like you made a mistake, an understandable one, given the circumstances. And she took it the wrong way when she found out, which, again, understandable. She was emotional and you were panicking, and there was a whole bunch of talking and not a lot of communication when it all came out. That sound about right?”
“Pretty much.” Waverly muttered, her cheeks burning with the force of her embarrassment.
“Well, are you panicking right now?” Gus asked.
“...I mean, no more than expected, considering the general state of the world.” Waverly shrugged.
“And do you think she’s emotional right now?” Gus prodded.
“Uh. Probably not.” Waverly’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Well then, it sounds like the two things that were stopping y’all from communicating are out of the way.” Gus pointed out. “So. Go find that girl and start communicating.”
“Gus, haven’t you ever heard of ‘no means no’?” Waverly rolled her eyes.
“Of course I have, I’m the one who taught you girls that.” Gus said. “I’m not saying harass her, I’m saying go talk to her now that both of you are calmer and she’s had time to regret making such a rash decision.”
“I mean, I don’t know if she necessarily regrets it…” Waverly muttered.
“I do.” Gus was so certain, so sure, that Waverly started to believe it too. “Go. No more secrets. Just like you said.”
Waverly sat with Gus’s words for a moment. Then when she spoke, her voice was soft and fearful. “What if she still says no?”
“Then that’s when I’ll start telling you all that ‘plenty of fish in the sea’ nonsense.” Gus said with a firm nod. “But until then, I know you’ll hate yourself if you don’t give it one more try.”
Waverly chewed her lip thoughtfully. “I…maybe you’re right…but…”
“Babygirl.” Wynonna had somehow returned and was leaning on the bar, looking for all the world like the classic bartender listening to a patron’s problems. “Gus is right. You owe it to yourself to try one more time.”
“I don’t even know what to say, though.” Waverly whispered. “I don’t know how to fix this.”
“You don’t gotta fix it, Angel.” Gus pulled Waverly into a one-armed hug, letting her niece lean into the comfort she offered. “Not today, at least. You just gotta find out if she wants to try. And I think, if you show her that you really do want her, she’ll wanna give it another go.”
“Just like that?” Waverly scoffed. “Just say ‘hey, I want you, so give me another chance’?”
“Why not?” Wynonna shrugged. “Isn’t the whole reason why she was upset in the first place because she thought you didn’t want her?”
Waverly stared at Wynonna.
Holy fudgenuggets, was it really that simple?!
Waverly stood, fire blazing in her eyes, and kissed first Gus’s cheek then Wynonna’s.
“Thank you both.” She said before grabbing her purse and sweeping towards the front doors of the bar, metaphorical cape billowing behind her.
“Go get her, Babygirl!” Wynonna cheered.
Waverly gave them a confident smirk and pulled the door open…
…and ran straight into Champ Hardy.
“Waverly!” He lit up. “I was just looking for you! Sucks about that ginger chick. Hey, what’s say you and me go-ARGH!”
Champ did not get to finish his proposition, as Waverly had responded by grabbing his shoulders and kneeing him in the groin.
Hard.
He hit the deck, cradling his bruised jewels and pride, sobbing as Waverly stepped over him and out the bar.
“Woohoo! Good shot, Babygirl!” Wynonna cheered.
“Wynonna!” Gus scolded.
“What?! Come on, that was funny!” Wynonna argued.
“Oh, it was hilarious.” Gus agreed. “I’m just worried about-”
Champ vomited onto the floor in pain.
“...That.”
“...Ew.”
Nicole sat hunched over her desk, looking at business reports and contracts that she really wasn’t absorbing.
Last night was…rough. After ending things with Waverly (well, maybe not “ended”, since technically they weren’t really dating), she’d finished her day at work in a bit of a haze and then wandered back home. There, she’d barely remembered to feed her cat (not that Calamity Jane would have allowed such an affront to stand, of course) before flopping face-first onto the couch and staring listlessly at whatever was on the television. Some kinda reality show about making swords, or something, she wasn’t really paying attention.
At some point, she’d dozed off and then awoken with her hair a mess, half her face sticky with drool, and an unamused cat watching her with eyes full of judgment.
“Oh, like you’ve never crashed out.” Nicole had grumbled at Calamity Jane while stumbling into the bathroom to shower and try to look human for the day.
And now here she was, in her office staring at paperwork and seeing nothing. Rifling through forms and folders, constantly shifting from one to another, trying to find something she could focus on. All the while thinking about how badly she wished she could text Waverly right now.
But she couldn’t. Because she’d ended things.
“Fuck me.” Nicole muttered, tossing yet another folder aside and lowering her head into her hands, elbows propped on the desk as she stared blankly at the papers scattered about.
The door flung open and in marched her second-in-command, Eliza Shapiro.
“Alright!” Eliza said as she pushed the door closed behind her. “I’ve allowed you to stomp around this office in your grumpy pants all day yesterday and most of today. Time to start spilling. What’s going on?”
“I don’t have grumpy pants on!” Nicole grumbled, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms in what was definitely not a grumpy pout.
“Sorry, my bad, are we wearing the grumpy skirt today?” Eliza responded with a flippant wave of her hand. “Whatever grumpy article of clothing you’ve got on, let’s hear it. Get it out. Spill your guts.”
“You know that I’m the boss here, right?” Nicole huffed, determinedly ignoring the interrogation that she was suddenly finding herself in the middle of.
“Ah. Okay, I see what’s happening here.” Eliza nodded with a faux solemnity. “We’re not in ‘grumpy pants’ or ‘grumpy skirt’ territory. We’ve graduated to grumpy pantaloons.”
“Haven’t you got work to do, Shapiro?” Nicole muttered as she reached for a random folder and opened it, grabbing her pen to try and at least pretend that she was working.
“I did. It’s all done.” Eliza smirked. “And now, I am fulfilling my responsibilities as your Chief Morale Officer-”
“We don’t have that position here.” Nicole rolled her eyes.
“-by braving the stormcloud you’ve dragged into this office, and removing whatever crawled up your ass yesterday.” Eliza continued as if the interruption had never happened.
“Nothing crawled up my ass, Shapiro, but you’re gonna be removing my shoe from yours if you don’t get out of my office.” Nicole growled, eyes determinedly focused on the paperwork that she wasn’t reading.
The silence that followed stretched just long enough for Nicole to hope that Eliza had taken the hint.
“...Nic, what happened?” Eliza’s tone was softer now, more caring. “You were on cloud nine all week until you got back from Purgatory yesterday. Did something happen with that chick you were talking to?”
Nicole closed her eyes and breathed slowly through her nose, before opening them again and muttering, “I’ve got work to do, E.”
Eliza winced. Yep. She’d hit the nail on the head.
“Hey. You can tell me.” Eliza reached over and rested her hand atop Nicole’s, stilling her hand even as it clenched the pen. “As your Chief Ass-Kicking Officer-”
“Also not a position here.” Nicole grumbled.
“-it’s my job to make sure that any asses that need kicking are tended to in the most efficient manner.” Again, Eliza refused to let a little thing like her best friend stop her from ranting on her best friend’s behalf. “And fucking with my family is a perfect way to earn a Shapiro ass-kicking.”
Nicole struggled to smother the little smile that threatened to creep across her face. As much of a pain in the ass as Eliza could be, Nicole had to admit that she had a way of pulling her out of a funk.
“It was…it wasn’t what I thought it was.” Nicole leaned back in her chair and tossed the file and her pen onto the desk, accepting that she wasn’t getting any work done with the blonde menace currently taking up space in her office.
“What happened?” Eliza’s brow furrowed in curiosity and maybe a little pre-emptive righteous fury.
Nicole took a deep breath and proceeded to relay the events of the day before. From the fateful visit to Shorty’s, the revelation of the fake plumbing emergency, and the disastrous call between her and Waverly afterwards.
When she finished her saga, Eliza leaned back in her chair with a low whistle. “Damn, Haught. That’s…a lot….rhyme not intended.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. “Yeah. So. RIP to my love life. Again.”
Eliza’s brow furrowed. “Why would your love life be dead?”
Nicole stared at her for a moment. “Did…did you not just hear me speaking for the last twenty minutes? We went out, she lied, I found out, we argued, I broke it off. Did you hear none of that?”
“No, I heard a story about two idiots who were being idiots, and they’ve had time to realize they were being idiots, so now they can stop being idiots.” Eliza replied.
“What are you talking about?” Nicole asked.
“I’m talking about getting back with Waverly, you idiot!” Eliza grabbed a pen cap and threw it at Nicole, missing her by an impressive range considering how closely they were sitting.
“E, don’t throw shit at me!” Nicole growled. “And I can’t get back with Waverly, I just told you why!”
“And I just told you why you can!” Eliza gestured wildly with her hand to somehow illustrate her point. “Remember, my whole brilliant summary about idiots being idiots? You have a chance to stop being an idiot, Nic, and so does she.”
“Eliza. She lied.” Nicole’s anger melted into despondency. “You…you know how I feel about that.”
Eliza softened and leaned forward, taking Nicole’s hand in her own. “Nicole. I remember when Meghan cheated and you broke up. I remember what that did to you.” Eliza swallowed thickly. “There were moments…just a few…where I was scared that you wouldn’t…make it through the other side.”
Nicole stared at their joined hands, refusing to make eye contact.
The breakup with Meghan had been…rough. It wasn’t just the breakup itself, though that had certainly been a tough aspect with how long they’d been together. It was how the breakup happened. How Nicole had caught Meghan cheating, and learned that the affair had been going on for over a year. How brutally the realization had been to just how long and how effectively Meghan had lied to her. How awful she felt when the question crossed her mind:
‘How many other lies were there that I never caught her in?’
The question haunted Nicole so thoroughly, that it affected how she interacted with everyone for a while. Every story she was told was met with narrowed eyes. Every explanation a friend or employee provided, Nicole would triple-check. A part of her had known even in the moment that it was a bit extreme. That no one had given her a reason to distrust them. That every single person in Nicole’s circle was sincere.
But…Meghan had also been so sincere…
It had taken Eliza grabbing her by the ear and verbally beating her ass for Nicole to recognize just how unsustainable the constant suspicion was. It was exhausting everyone, and causing the business and every other aspect of Nicole’s life to suffer.
Eliza’s tirade ended with her slapping a business card for a therapist into Nicole’s hand and storming away.
Nicole called the therapist’s office that night.
Nicole pulled herself from her thoughts and looked up at her best friend. “Then you understand why I can’t. I don’t want to.”
“Bullshit, you don’t want to!” Eliza scoffed. “I know good and goddamn well you want to! And not just because you’ve looked over at your phone every few minutes the whole time I’ve been here!”
Nicole blushed, even as her eyes unconsciously darted over to her phone, proving Eliza’s point.
“It’s because I’d never seen you smile like that before, Nic. Not even with Meghan.” Eliza squeezed Nicole’s hand. “Every time you got a text from her, you were in the clouds. Like, full-blown ‘Defying Gravity, nothing’s gonna bring me down’ moments every single time that woman messaged you. You cannot tell me that just shut off the moment you hung up on her yesterday.”
Nicole chewed her bottom lip, which was all the admission Eliza needed.
“And I get it, okay? I really do.” Eliza said. “Finding out like that, from some wanna-be rodeo clown, and finding out how he knows? I’d be embarrassed as shit, too, if that was how I’d found out I had something in common with that jackass.”
Nicole grumbled.
“No one can blame you for being hurt and lashing out because of it. You’re human, it happens to all of us.” Eliza said. “But you’re calmer, now. Do you still think that was the best move, or do you think you reacted in the heat of the moment?”
Nicole pulled her hand away and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms tightly across her chest, almost hugging herself. Her eyes were glued to her desk.
“I’m not saying this to make you feel bad, Nic.” Eliza said. “I’m saying this to let you know that it’s okay if you want to change your mind. Or even if you just wanna think about changing your mind. You’re not tied forever to a decision you made while you were upset.”
“I…I don’t think Waverly will want me back, though.” Nicole mumbled.
“Nic, she was texting you every day this week.” Eliza pointed out. “You really think those are the actions of someone who doesn’t want you?”
“That jackass at the bar said she texted him after their date, too.” Nicole said, arms tightening as she threw out any discouragement she could think of. “Maybe it’s just a thing she does to soften the blow.”
“Maybe.” Eliza nodded. “But did you ask Waverly when you spoke to her?”
Nicole shifted lower in her chair. “...No.”
“Okay, then can we agree that maybe that would have been a good idea?” Eliza asked. “There could have been an explanation.”
“That’s a hard thing to explain away.” Nicole pointed out.
“That’s true.” Eliza agreed. “But only if it’s exactly the way Bar Jackass described it. He’d just realized that you’d been on a date with his ex, he saw that badass suit you were wearing yesterday, and he definitely saw that you were way hotter than him-”
“You never saw the guy, E.” Nicole rolled her eyes, a little smile tugging at her lips.
“No, but I’ve seen you, I know you were way hotter than him.” Eliza said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “The point is, is it possible he might have had reason to misrepresent the situation a little? Maybe to make himself feel like he had something in common with someone way better than him?”
Nicole’s mind ran in circles.
Fuck. Was there really an explanation?
“I’m an idiot.” Nicole groaned, dropping her head onto her desk with a ‘thud’.
“No, recall that I said that you were an idiot.” Eliza jumped in before the pity party could get into full swing. “Meaning that you have the chance to stop being an idiot.”
Nicole propped herself on her elbows and covered her face with her hands. “I’m so stupid, E. All the hard work I did to get over the lying thing, and it’s all gone just like that. My therapist is gonna be so disappointed.”
“No, she’s not.” Eliza’s voice was firm. “You’re realizing what happened so much quicker now than you did, then. Your progress isn’t erased. You just got triggered. It was the first time since Meghan that someone you had romantic feelings for lied to you, I would have been shocked if you hadn’t had a reaction.”
Nicole huffed, pulling her hands away from her face and looking at Eliza with pained eyes. “I think I ruined it. I don’t think she’s gonna wanna be with me, after all this.”
“Nicole, listen.” Eliza’s voice was entirely confident. “Based on what you’ve told me about her, if she wants you even half as much as I think she does, nothing will stand in her way.”
– MEANWHILE –
“Please, you have to let me in, I need to talk to Nicole!” Waverly begged.
“No can do, Miss.” Came the unimpressed reply. “You ain’t on Miss Haught’s calendar today, so you gotta go.”
So, this security guard was currently standing in Waverly’s way.
In hindsight, she maybe should have expected a security company to be pretty strict about…well…security.
“Please, if you’ll just call her, she’ll tell you who I am.” Waverly was growing more frazzled by the minute as she pleaded with the man.
“Miss, with all respect, I ain’t never seen you around here before.” The guard pointed out. “And I ain’t gonna waste Miss Haught’s time.”
“But-”
“Miss, I would like for you to please leave, you’re making a scene in our lobby.” The security guard was polite but firm, his stance conveying that he would swiftly get a lot less polite if he needed to.
“I’m not-” Waverly stopped herself and took a deep breath. When she spoke again, it was forcibly softer than before. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make a scene. I really do know Nic-Miss Haught, and it’s very important that I speak to her. I understand you’re just doing your job, I’m really sorry for making you have to deal with this, but if you call her and tell her Waverly Earp needs to speak to her, she’ll confirm who I am.”
“Miss Earp, please. Like you said, I’m just doing my job.” The security guard’s patience had run out. “Now, you can either leave, or I will escort you out.”
“Look, can you at least take a message?!” Waverly’s voice was growing desperate. “Just something to let her know that I came by?!”
The guard sighed and stepped forward, firmly taking Waverly by the elbow. “Okay, we’ve tried this the easy way, but you need to leave. Now.”
He turned her around and started leading her to the door, Waverly pulling against him the whole way.
“Wait, please! I just need to see-” Waverly’s pleas were cut off when her salvation walked through the door.
“Waverly?” Chrissy, who appeared to be back from her lunch break, tilted her head to the side in confusion. “What’re you doing here?”
“Chrissy!” Waverly grabbed her friend’s blouse in desperation. “Please, can you help me?! I need to talk to Nicole, it’s really important!”
“Miss, please take your hands off of her, right now!” The security guard reached over to pull Chrissy free from Waverly’s grip. “I’m so sorry, Miss Nedley, I’m escorting her out right now.”
“No, no, she’s fine, Steve.” Chrissy wasn’t sure what was happening, but she knew that Waverly must have been here for a reason. “She’s with me, she can come in.”
Steve stopped and gave her a dubious look. “Miss Nedley, she’s claiming she knows Miss Haught.”
“She does, I introduced them.” Chrissy said, reaching over and carefully pulling Waverly free from Steve’s grip. “I promise, Steve, she’s okay.”
Steve gave Waverly another raised brow, before sighing and nodding. “Alright, Miss Nedley, but she’ll need a visitor’s badge.”
Waverly nearly sobbed in relief and allowed her picture to be taken, somehow managing to restrain herself from fidgeting impatiently as her badge was printed. She nearly snatched it out of Steve’s hand and clipped it to her shirt before following Chrissy to the elevator.
“So, you wanna tell me why I just saved you from getting kicked out of the office?” Chrissy asked with a bemused look as she pressed a button on the elevator, likely the one for Nicole’s floor.
“Sorry, Chrissy, I just really needed to see Nicole.” Waverly hugged her tightly. “Thank you so much for coming to my rescue.”
“I’m surprised I had to.” Chrissy said. “Did Nicole not know you’re coming? I thought you two were texting all week? Or was this some kinda surprise visit that backfired?”
“Erm…” Waverly grimaced. “Not…not really.”
Chrissy gave Waverly a hard look. “Wave, what did you do?”
Waverly took a deep breath and began recounting the tale. By the time she got to yesterday’s breakup, they’d left the elevator and were now standing in the hall. Chrissy looked at her for a moment…
…And then smacked her in the head with the files she was carrying.
“Ow!” Waverly whined and rubbed her head. “What the hell, Chrissy?!”
“Are you serious, Waverly?!” Chrissy looked like she was contemplating smacking her again. “Do you really think I’d set you up with a loser or an asshole?!”
“I’m sorry! I panicked!” Waverly said. “And then when I realized she was actually really nice, I’d already had Wynonna call, so I had to leave.”
“Ugh! No wonder she’s been so grouchy since yesterday!” Chrissy grumbled as she pushed Waverly towards a door that read ‘Nicole Haught’. “Fix it!”
“Right! Yes!” Waverly nodded rapidly. “Thank you, Chrissy!”
Chrissy merely rolled her eyes and stalked off, muttering about ungrateful friends.
Waverly, meanwhile, barely took a moment to breathe and smooth her shirt down before bursting into the office. “Nicole! I’m so sorry, I-”
She paused at the sight of Nicole, hunched over her desk and staring at her with wide eyes, and an attractive blonde looking over her shoulder with a look of surprise that quickly morphed into amusement.
The blonde looked and Nicole and chucked her thumb over her shoulder at Waverly. “Waverly?”
Nicole could only nod slack-jawed.
“Well, would you look at the time!” The blonde said, looking at her wrist where a watch was clearly not present. “I just remembered, I have to be literally anywhere but here!”
She stood and swanned out the door, tossing a quick “Have fun, you two!” over her shoulder as she went. The sound of the office door clicking shut may as well have been a gunshot in the now silent room.
“Um…hi?” Waverly waved nervously.
Nicole continued to stare dumbly.
…Okay. Well. She wasn’t yelling or throwing things, so…full steam ahead!
Waverly stepped forward and held her hands up pleadingly. “Nicole, I totally get that you probably don’t wanna see me right now, and I understand why. But please, please can I explain? I promise, if you don’t like my explanation, I’ll leave and you’ll never have to see me again. Just…please can I say this?”
Nicole looked at her for what felt like an eon, her face still dumbfounded, before she finally nodded.
Waverly sighed in relief.
“Okay. So. The first time that Wynonna and I used the bail out system wasn’t during a date.” Waverly explained. She swallowed and said. “It was during a proposal. My proposal, actually. From the guy that Gus said you met at the Shorty’s.”
Nicole’s brow furrowed and she sat back in her chair, but she looked like she was willing to keep hearing Waverly out, so she continued.
“So, Champ and I had been dating for…way too long, looking back on it.” Waverly admitted.
Nicole blinked, and her brow furrowed. “That guy’s name is…Champ?”
“Listen, I had limited dating options and very little self-esteem.” Waverly said with a wry smile. “Please don’t judge me for the choices I made when I was young and dumb.”
“I mean, it’s pretty hard not to judge that particular choice.” Nicole smiled a little, and Waverly clung to the idea that that smile meant she was getting somewhere.
“Well, pace yourself, there’s so much more to judge.” Waverly said. “Anyway, we were kinda just…drifting along. And Wynonna had already been lecturing me for a while about how I’d outgrown him and needed to move on. But, like I said, limited options and low self-esteem. I didn’t think there was anyone else who’d wanna be with me. So, I stuck it out.”
“And then he proposed?” Nicole ventured.
Waverly nodded. “He invited me out to this nice place in the city. I didn’t think too much about it at the moment. I thought maybe he’d cheated again and was trying to ease his guilt.”
Nicole graciously didn’t say anything about the “again” in that sentence.
“Anyway, the night was actually pretty nice.” Waverly said. “But, he kept looking around and he seemed like he was waiting for something. I didn’t think too much about it until he excused himself to the restroom, and then walked straight into the kitchen. Which was in the exact opposite direction of the restrooms.”
Nicole looked rather perplexed by what she was hearing. “He…said he was going to the restroom, and then walked right to the kitchen? Right in front of you?”
“Yeah, subtlety was never his strong suit.” Waverly shrugged. “So, I see him and I assume the manager looking out the kitchen window, and I started wondering what the heck they were doing. Then, the kitchen door opened, he said something to the manager, and I saw behind them was a cart with a bucket of champagne. And then I saw Champ hand him what looked like a small box. I assume it was to put the ring in the glass, or something. Either way, I realized what was about to happen.”
Nicole winced. “I take it you weren’t expecting it?”
“God, no!” Waverly shook her head adamantly. “And when I figured out what he had planned, I swear my heart stopped for a sec, and all the uncertainty and questions I had about our relationship came rushing back to me, and I knew I couldn’t let him propose. So, I grabbed my phone and texted Wynonna in a panic. Champ came back, and he sat down with this kinda smug look, like he knew something I didn’t, and just as he started what I think was gonna be his proposal speech, my phone rang.”
Nicole nodded, obviously knowing where this part of the story was headed. “Wynonna?”
“Yeah. She called saying that a skunk had gotten into the Homestead and she needed me to help get it out.” Waverly said. “I practically sprinted out of that restaurant, and called an Uber to take me home. That was the first time we’d ever used the bail-out system.”
Nicole fiddled with her pen thoughtfully. “He said…that you texted him for a while after.”
Waverly nodded. “After I got home and told Wynonna everything, I realized that she was right. I’d outgrown him and I needed to move on. I mean, my own sister faked a wild animal breaking into the house to save me from a proposal, that’s gotta be a sign, right?”
Nicole breathed a small laugh.
“So, I texted him to get him to meet up with me somewhere. So I could break up with him.” Waverly winced. “Well, he didn’t know I was gonna break up with him, obviously, but with how long we’d been together, I needed to do it face to face. It felt wrong to do it over the phone, you know? And he kept putting it off because he wanted to redo his proposal, so we went back and forth for a bit. Finally, he comes into Shorty’s and I think ‘finally, I can just do it now!’, and I guess he was thinking the same thing, because I come up to him planning to pull him to the side and break up with him privately, and he starts getting down on one knee.”
Nicole cringed in secondhand embarrassment. “Ah…I guess that didn’t go how either of you’d planned?”
“No, it was so much worse.” Waverly dropped her face into her hands, ears burning with embarrassment. “Instead of turning him down in front of a bunch of strangers, now I was doing it in front of his buddies and half of Purgatory.”
Nicole’s pained look and slow exhalation spoke volumes. “I guess that might give him a pretty good incentive to misrepresent some things, come to think of it.”
Waverly nodded. “Especially when he knows the person he’s talking to was on a date with his ex and is way better than him in every way.”
Nicole blushed and covered the pleased little smile that tried to break out on her face. Waverly felt hope spark in her chest at the sight.
“So, after all that drama finally blew over and I started dating again, me and my sister started using the bail-out system. A way we could help get the other one away from a bad date without hurting any feelings.” Waverly explained. “We didn’t use it a lot, but it was just…I don’t know. Knowing that Wynonna was just a text away. It made me feel safe. It made me willing to put myself out there. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve bailed Wynonna out of some bad hook ups too, but the system was more a way for her to let me know that she had my back.”
Nicole nodded thoughtfully. Thinking about it, she could understand why a fake emergency might be a preferable way to cut a poor date short. People with wounded pride and hurt feelings could sometimes be a little…unpredictable. She winced as she realized that, thinking about it, she had reacted pretty badly to some hurt feelings, herself.
“When I texted Wynonna that night, during our date, I jumped the gun.” Waverly admitted. “You were right, I assumed the worst about you because of my experiences with other shitheads. And I’ve regretted it all week.”
“Well, maybe you were right to do it.” Nicole slumped in her chair. “I mean, I got my feelings hurt and reacted just like the shitheads you and your sister had created this system to protect you from.”
“No, you didn’t.” Waverly argued. “I know that if I’d told you I wasn’t feeling it, you would have respected that. And the kind of person we made the system for never reacts the way you did when I cut the date short. Those shitheads? They’d get grumpy, they’d pout, they sure as hell wouldn’t pick up the bill. You were nothing like that, and you even offered to help with Gus’s kitchen. You’d barely just met me, and I know I wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine by the time you made it to the restaurant, and here you were offering to come with me to fix a plumbing emergency.”
Nicole rubbed the back of her neck shyly. “I…I felt terrible because…you were really pretty, and Chrissy had told me how amazing you were, and I was mad at myself for being late. I wanted any excuse to spend more time with you. If you’d told me you needed to cut the date short to grab an emergency flight to Tahiti, I probably would have offered to go with you.”
Now it was Waverly’s turn to duck her head in embarrassment. “Once I saw how badly I’d misread you, I probably would have said yes. I’ve never felt like that for someone on the first date. It…kinda scares me, to be honest.”
Nicole’s face softened as she looked at Waverly with a new understanding. “I scare you.”
Waverly swallowed hard and nodded, feeling brave enough to step closer to Nicole’s desk.
“Yes. Yes, you do.” She said, pausing for a brief moment before reaching forward and resting her hand on Nicole’s. “But, I’m done being scared. When I called you yesterday, it was because I wanted to ask you out. And I wanted to be honest with you about last week. That I’d misjudged you.”
“You wanted to give me another chance?” Nicole asked, a little bit of her own hope creeping into her voice.
“No.” Waverly swallowed hard and looked at Nicole with all the sincerity she had in her. “I wanted you to have the first chance that you were owed. But now I realise that I need to ask you to give me a second chance. And I’m asking that now. Please, Nicole? Can I have a second chance? Will you let me try again to treat you the way you deserve?”
Nicole felt her heart flutter. “Wave…”
“I know I messed up, and I am so sorry for treating you like that. But if you’re willing to give me another chance, I really want to fix it.” Waverly said. “Please, can I show you how much I want you?”
Nicole looked at her for a moment, and Waverly struggled not to panic as the silence stretched.
Finally, Nicole took a shaky breath. “I think…I think it’s safe to say that maybe we both messed up a little.”
Waverly didn’t say anything, but that spark of hope started to ignite.
“I know that I overreacted.” Nicole admitted. “I mentioned it yesterday but…well, I had a really terrible experience with an ex who lied about…everything, as it turned out. So, when I realized the plumbing thing was a lie, it kinda messed with my head. And then he sat down next to me and started spinning his tale. And I guess I was already too deep in my emotions to realize that maybe the guy offering unsolicited opinions about women had an agenda.”
They both laughed.
“So…can we try again?” Waverly asked, feeling a surge of bravery. “Maybe tomorrow night? Same place as before?”
“...I think I’d like that.” Nicole nodded with a shy smile that Waverly returned. “And I won’t have any meetings tomorrow, so I should be on time.”
Waverly grinned, the adrenaline from the moment making her feel like she was walking on air. “Okay. Okay, cool! So. Yeah! Tomorrow!”
Nicole’s voice was calmer, but the smile on her face was just as bright as Waverly’s. “Tomorrow.”
Waverly just barely tamped down on the urge to do a happy dance right then and there.
“Cool! Cool!” She said, finally releasing Nicole’s hand and slowly backing towards the door. “I’ll, uh…I’ll pick you up? From here, I mean?” Nicole’s eyebrows flew up in surprise, and Waverly winced. “Or, we can meet there, if that’s easier. That’s probably easier, I’m sorry! We can just-”
“I’d love for you to pick me up.” Nicole breathed, her eyes shining.
Waverly froze, then the smile returned to her face tenfold. “Oh. O-okay! Yes! I’ll pick you up! I’ll be here at…uh. When do you get off work?”
“Six.” Nicole said.
“Six!” Waverly nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll be here at six!”
“I’ll see you then.” Nicole replied, her smile deepening at Waverly’s excitement.
“Totally!” Waverly grinned, then squeaked adorably when her back collided with the office door. She fumbled with the knob for a bit, before finally getting the door open. “I’ll uh…yeah! I’ll see you tomorrow! So…um…bye for now!”
“Bye, Waverly.” Nicole whispered, watching with soft eyes as Waverly inched out of the office, closing the door softly as she left.
Well.
That happened.
Nicole breathed out and sat back in her chair, her smile never wavering as she stared down at her desk in surprise. She definitely hadn’t expected this when she woke up this morning. If anything, after her chat with Eliza, she was certain she was gonna be the one calling Waverly and sheepishly asking for another chance. And she was still grateful for the opportunity to apologise for her own actions, but Nicole could admit that having someone come to her office and beg their way in just to tell her face-to-face that they wanted her.
…Well. Sue her, but sometimes a girl just wants to know that she’s wanted.
And Waverly did it.
She owned her mistake.
She apologized.
She made Nicole feel wanted.
And in doing so, she made Nicole feel brave enough to own her own mistake, too.
Nicole didn’t know where things between her and Waverly were gonna go, but she knew that she wouldn’t regret giving it another shot. Even if they ended up not feeling it at the end of tomorrow’s date-
SLAM!
Nicole jumped as her office door slammed open, Waverly standing there again.
She winced. “I…didn’t mean for it to slam open like that. Sorry!”
“Yeah, it’s lighter than it looks.” Nicole laughed. “Uh…everything okay?”
In response, Waverly’s face took on a look of determination and she marched over to Nicole’s side of the desk. “Yes. I just forgot something.”
Nicole’s brow furrowed, but before she could ask what she meant, Waverly leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Time screeched to a halt and for a moment, nothing existed beyond Waverly’s soft lips pressed against Nicole’s skin. Far too quickly, Waverly pulled back, and Nicole stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed.
“Okay! See you tomorrow!” Waverly squeaked before rushing out of the office again, closing the door with a little more restraint this time and leaving Nicole staring after her.
Nicole pressed her fingertips to her cheek, where Waverly had kissed it
Where Waverly had kissed her.
The door opened again, but this time it was Eliza who poked her head in. “Hey, saw Waverly leaving. Everything good?”
“I’m gonna marry that woman.” Nicole breathed, a dazed smile on her face and stars in her eyes.
As promised, Waverly picked Nicole up from work the next day. The conversation was far more pleasant the second time around as they placed their orders with Rachel and settled in to wait.
“So, you never did answer my question last time.” Nicole said, a playful grin on her face. “Do you like soup?”
Waverly laughed. “Well, actually, I-”
Waverly’s phone rang.
“What…” Waverly grabbed the phone and checked it, seeing that it was Wynonna. “I…sorry, Nicole, one sec.”
Nicole waved it off as Waverly answered.
“Wynonna,” Waverly muttered into the phone as she pressed it to her ear. “I’m out with Nicole, so-”
“Hey Babygirl, can I ask you a grammar question?” Wynonna asked.
Waverly rolled her eyes and growled. “Wynonna, it’s really not a good ti-”
“So, on a scale of ‘Alanis Morissette irony’ to ‘actual irony’, if you fake a plumbing emergency to save your baby sister from a date, and then said baby sister goes on a new date with the same person, and an actual plumbing emergency happens, where does that rank on the irony scale?”
Waverly blinked.
“I…what?” Waverly ran her fingers through her hair.
No way.
No. Fudging. Way.
“Yeah. This is legit.” Wynonna said. “Like. Gus’s kitchen is actually flooded.”
“Did you get Waverly on the phone?” Gus’s voice came through in the background, confirming that this was actually happening.
“Oh my God.” Waverly wanted to sink into a hole and never come back out. “Okay. I’ll…Jesus. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Babygirl.” Wynonna quickly ended the call, leaving Waverly staring at Nicole with such a regretful look.
“Everything okay?” Nicole checked.
“So…how well-versed are you on irony?” Waverly winced.
Nicole tilted her head to the side in confusion, before her face cleared up as she realized what the call must have been about.
“Oh, no.” Nicole barked a sharp laugh of surprise. “Don’t tell me!”
Waverly groaned and lowered her face into her hands, certain that this was the death knell for whatever she and Nicole had been trying to start.
But, it wasn’t.
“Rachel!” Nicole called, getting the teenager’s attention. “Can we get those orders to go and the check, please? An emergency’s come up.”
“Uh, sure.” Rachel seemed a little confused, but she shrugged it off and hurried into the kitchen.
Waverly looked up in surprise. “Nicole, no, you don’t have to do that, they can wait until we get done here-”
“Sorry, no can do.” Nicole shook her head with a smile. “Plumbing emergencies are best handled immediately. Can you swing by my house and I’ll grab some boots?”
Waverly paused. “You wanna come with me?”
“If that’s alright?” Nicole asked with a hopeful look. “I meant it when I said I was good with plumbing work.”
Waverly shook her head with an incredulous smile. “You’d mop up a stranger's kitchen for me?”
Nicole shrugged with a sheepish smile. “I’d do a lot of things to you.”
Waverly blinked.
“F…For me?”
Nicole’s eyes widened and she jumped to her feet in a panic. “Yep! That, too! Uh-huh! Anyway, let’s get going!”
“But what about the-” Waverly’s concerns were halted by Nicole taking her by the hand and pulling her out of her chair.
“Don’t worry about the check, Rachel knows where I live.”
Nicole darted out the door, dragging a laughing Waverly along with her.
Notes:
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