Something Sweet to Get You By

"Okay, so, it's settled; Charlie won't let Beau know that she knows who he is."
Nikki sat around the bathroom as Amanda and Charlie continued to shakily do their hair and makeup. It was a quarter to eight and nerves were starting to get the best of them. Nikki, who'd called in sick at work specifically to be home when Beau arrived at the house, had been so nervous throughout the day that she'd bitten off most of her nails and the surrounding skin. Amanda was better at concealing her feelings, though she had spent a good amount of her day eating whatever was in their fridge. She, unlike Nikki, had her first day of work at nine bar tending and waitressing at a local pub.
"Don't let anything slip about his life. Pretend you don't know his ethnicity, career, likes, dislikes, anything," Amanda said as she curled a section of her hair.
"Guys, what if I let something slip by accident?" Charlie asked, beginning to feel a fresh batch of butterflies awake in her stomach.
"Just, you know, let him do all the talking."
They all allowed an uncomfortable silence to settle as they thought about what was about to take place. Charlie wondered if he would like her. She was nothing like the other girls he'd dated - at least, she didn't think so. Was that a good thing? Or was that bad? It had to be good...right? What did he have in mind for their date? Surely the first date was too early for him to introduce her to anyone.
"Guys," Nikki said, clutching her stomach, "I think I'm gonna be sick."
The doorbell rang throughout the condo as Amanda and Charlie fearfully stared at Nikki.
"Never mind! He's here!" Nikki shouted as she bolted out of the bathroom. She checked her reflection and adjusted her outfit before casually opening the door.
He looks a lot better in person and close up, Nikki'd decided as she looked at the man standing in front of her. The nerves were still kicking and at the moment, running to the door turned to be a bad idea. Everything around her was moving, especially Beau, though she was standing still. Maybe she was gonna be sick. Maybe she shouldn't have had that leftover sushi. She didn't even like sushi! She should've made a sandwich instead.
"Hi, I'm Beau, and, um, are you okay?" a worried voice asked. Just then, Nikki felt the sushi begin to come up.
"Come in," she managed to mutter before running towards the second bathroom and calling out for Charlie to get the door.
Beau stood in the doorway, unsure of whether or not he should enter the place as the girl who had answered the door suggested. Deciding against it, he remained there until another girl managed to walk into his line of vision.
"Nikki, I told you not to eat that sushi! I of all people would know when that stuff has gone bad. Did you answer the door?" another girl pestered the first. A second later, the girl made her way towards him.
"Hey, sorry about that. You must be here for Charlie. Beau, right? I'm Amanda," the girl asked.
"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you, Amanda. Is that other girl gonna be alright?"
"Nikki? She'll be fine. Sorry you had to meet her like that. She doesn't usually spend her day huddled around a toilet. Come in, please."
Beau walked in and looked around. Typical chick pad, he noted. Cleaner than anywhere he'd ever stayed and tastefully decorated. He could hear a toilet flushing somewhere in the background and a sink running.
"Ah, God. I haven't done that since your eighteenth birthday," the girl named Nikki said as she joined Beau and Amanda in the living room.
"Are you alright?" Beau smiled.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that. I'm Nikki," the disheveled girl smiled. She reached over to shake his hand before offering to go find Charlie.
"Nice place," Beau offered.
"Thanks, thanks. It's not quite done yet, but we've got most of our stuff unpacked."
Charlie walked into the living room, Nikki not too far behind. Beau stood up quickly and smiled at her.
"Wow. You look beautiful."

There wasn't much Charlie Porter didn't know about Beau Bokan. She and her friends had had an obsession for him and his band for a better part of two years, and still remained devoted fans despite the fact that they were older than the average fan. Still, she found that listening to Beau tell her about himself was a lot better than anything she could ever read on formspring or hear in an interview. Not only that, but there were things she learned about him by just watching him that most people standing on the outside wouldn't notice, like the way his lips twitched when he wanted to say something but would not allow himself to or the way his hands fondled the hem of his shirt when he was listening to something intensely.
"So, Amanda mentioned something about most of your stuff being unpacked. Did you guys just move from another part of Arizona or," Beau asked when a brief period of silence had fallen over them, "What's the deal?"
Charlie smiled and let out a short breath. She looked at the stars they were walking under, knowing he would get a kick out of where her hometown was.
"Nah, it's nothing like that. Nikki, Amanda, and I moved here from out of state. It's kinda a big thing for us, yanno? This place is," she paused, not sure if 'lame' was even the right word, "Different from Chicago."
Beau snapped knowingly and shook his head, grinning at her.
"I knew you weren't from around here. It's all over your face, body, attitude."
Charlie smiled, "Whatchu mean? What, do I look snobby or something?"
"No, not at all. You just look like you know what you want, how you want it, and when."
"Well, I'm just glad you didn't pick up on the accent. People always be telling me I got one but I just don't see it."
Beau went on to question her about what growing up in Chicago was like and she answered as truthfully as possible. She knew the city like the back of her hand - she knew where the skin got rough and where it was softest. She knew there was dirt under the fingernails that no amount of scrubbing could ever get rid of. She knew were to stick them and where not to. She knew where to get the best boba and where to go if you wanted to spend a week huddled over a toilet. She knew which train lines went where and at what times each were safest. She knew the suburbs and the neighborhoods.
They shared a common ground when it came to where they grew up. Both had been raised in the h00d of big cities. They shared a love for them and were not afraid to be proud of it. They shared a mixed ethnicity, both half Mexican and half European. They shared a love for boba and Starbucks.
Charlie found it hard to believe that Beau had not mentioned his profession though he'd asked her about what she planned on majoring in and what she wanted to do after she graduated. Still, she went on smiling as he charmed her with compliments and his overall optimism.

"Thanks for everything, sir," Charlie smiled as she turned and looked at Beau once they'd reached her condo door, "I had a great time."
"I did too. Maybe we can do this again?"
Charlie stepped closer to the tall figure she'd spent the night with, playing with the hem of his shirt. She hugged him, burying her face in his chest. He smelt like Starbucks and cologne and if she was sure of anything at all, it was that she could get used to having that scent around all the time. She felt his arms wrap themselves around her waist and his chin rest on the top of her head. It was funny, she'd found, that even in boots she was a great deal shorter than him.
"I think I hear one of your friends," he mumbled softly. Charlie laughed, knowing Nikki was probably on the other side of the door, peering out through the peephole in the door.
"Want to say good night to my nosy roommate? Amanda's working but Nikki's home"
"Sure."
Charlie turned away from Beau, one hand in his, and unlocked the door, catching a glimpse of Nikki jumping onto the couch. She looked over from the TV and smiled at the pair.
"Oh, hey! I thought I heard noise outside. You guys are back already?" Nikki asked casually, trying to keep a straight face.
"You dork, I know you were just watching us."
Nikki forced an appalled face. "I was not! I just came from the bathroom, you jerk!"
Charlie rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Beau wanted to say night to you."
"I hope you're feeling better now. It was nice meeting you."
Nikki grinned, "It was nice meeting you too. I hope you and Charlie get to spend more time together. If not, well, I can always get my homies from the 'hood back home to blow up your car."
"Nikki!" Charlie scolded.
"I'm kidding! God!"
Charlie led Beau back out into the hall.
"I'm really sorry about that. She's really bad at making good impressions on the first day."
Beau laughed, "That's alright. I think I should spend more time with you," he said, moving in for a kiss, "just in case she wasn't kidding."