#bea's very distracting 😌

[timetravesty]

(Queen B Book 3) Say You Love Me Pt. 10

✨Pt.10 is here!✨ Please Enjoy!

Context: What'd I tell you anon? 😌 But really, thank you all for being patient with my turbulent writing phases. 😂Sorry for the wait on this chapter and please expect some requests to be completed in the upcoming days. I should be running back to somewhat normal, but life decided to hit me with about five-year future life plan decisions in the past two days. Also, sorry if the writing in this is somewhat... fast paced? 😪 I'm trying to get my regular writing style feel back 👏

Masterlist

General Content Warnings: Mature, Angst, Possible NSFW, Cursing, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobia, Semi-Violence, Cheating, Slow Burn, Don Sterling (mention) 💀

----------------------------------------------

“Move.” Poppy told a woman who scrambled away from the doorway as she entered the posh restroom of the fancy Italian place. She didn’t head to a stall, instead, her back hit the shiny tiling on the wall as she pulled her phone out of her small handbag. 

She didn’t have anything to do on the phone, but she needed her hands to keep busy instead of returning to the table and strangling Don. While she knew it was going to be an awful evening, she should have expected for some unknown force to kick her even harder. 

Bea Hughes was sitting casually at the restaurant, and sure, they locked eyes once, but Poppy made a point to ignore her afterwards. Bea was her enemy from college, possibly the worst person Poppy had ever met, and her current employee. 

She had hoped to keep herself distant from the woman, but only Poppy had such luck. Lana Bennet, that model Poppy had hired from Pulse, had to roll up to her table and strike up a conversation with Don. 

Poppy was fine with the distraction, but she didn’t expect Bea to appear from behind, causing Poppy to really hate whoever decided to ruin her life at that very moment. 

So she was hiding in the bathroom, it wasn’t the first time and it wouldn't be the last, but Poppy wondered how uncouth it would be if she snuck out through one of the employee doors. Don wouldn't miss her. His ego was already being filled by Lana. 

Though, there would be the issue of dealing with her father afterwards, but…

“Sorry about that.” A voice said from the doorway, causing Poppy to glance up and immediately frown. 

Bea stood near the door, obviously avoiding eye contact with Poppy as she walked in, stopping by the mirror as Poppy glared. As if this night couldn’t get worse. 

Bea pulled something out of her pocket, not looking in the mirror as Poppy sighed. The few ladies in the restroom began to leave and only the distant sound of restaurant chatter filled the fancy bathroom. It was eerily quiet, with Bea standing silently in front of the large mirror and Poppy leaning against the wall. 

Her day was already awful, what would be one more thing? 

“I need to talk to you.” 

Bea didn’t turn. It didn’t even sound like she was breathing as Poppy saw her bite her lower lip in the mirror. 

“...Look, I swear I didn’t know you would be here. I didn’t-” 

“I said that I needed to talk.” Poppy frowned, slowly turning to look at Bea whose shoulders heaved sadly. She turned around, holding a small packet in her hand as she nodded quietly. Her wild brown locks fell casually in front of her eyes and Poppy could almost remember what it felt like to brush them back, but she shook the thought from her head. 

It was best to not daydream like that anymore.  

“I’m willing to overlook this… mistake on both of our parts. So long as you mention nothing about my outing with Don Sterling.” Bea looked conflicted, before nodding again, hands tightening into fists as Poppy turned her attention forward. 

“Also, I’m not sure what relation you have with Lana Bennet, but I-” 

“Can I say something first, at least?” Bea asked quickly, interrupting Poppy who sharply inhaled. She should have figured Bea wouldn't shut up for more than two minutes. 

“What?” 

“Don’t fire Lana from your company.” Bea stated as Poppy scoffed. As if she had a say in the matter. Technically, Lana was probably one of the better models Poppy had ever seen, but there was a new issue here. Not only did Lana have some relation with Bea, she was also a little too chummy with Poppy over dinner. Not exactly the professional attitude Belle was searching for. 

“I apologize Hughes, but whatever relationship you have with my model, you’ll have to put your emotions aside.” 

“I don’t have a relationship with her.” Bea stated as Poppy rolled her eyes. She pushed herself off the wall, walking up to the mirror as Bea followed Poppy with her eyes. Setting her handbag down and pocketing her phone, Poppy pulled out a dark shade of lipstick. She uncapped it, peering close into the mirror to apply it. 

“And I don’t own a multimillion dollar business.” Poppy responded, applying the shade as Bea shut her eyes in annoyance. 

“I’m serious, Lana is an incredible model. She and I do not have a relationship whatsoever.” 

“So tonight was your first meeting?” 

Bea went quiet as Poppy capped the bottle. “Thought so.” 

“I’ve known her for about three months. We’ve only talked, nothing more.” 

“I couldn’t care less.” Poppy said, grabbing her handbag as Bea moved her hand to stop Poppy from leaving, before thinking better of it. She retracted her palm, returning the fist to her side as she looked at Poppy. Conflicted emotions flickered in her eyes as Poppy kept her expression neutral. 

“What… what do I have to do to make you reconsider?” 

“You’re certainly not helping your case if you’re willing to give up anything for her.” Poppy stated, crossing her arms as Bea frowned. 

“She’s a good model-” Bea stopped herself, clearing her throat as Poppy watched. “Ms. Min-Sinclair. Even if we had some history, you wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this.” 

“Models are a dime a dozen. I can find a new one.” 

“You’d really ruin her chances like this? All because of… I don’t even know what this is.” Bea complained, voice raising a little as Poppy glanced cautiously to the side. Surprisingly, no one had entered the bathroom yet. It was just Poppy, Bea, and Bea’s hero complex. 

“Let me clarify, if you think this has anything to do with you, you’re wrong.” Poppy said when Bea rolled her eyes. The packet she had been holding had now been placed on the counter as Bea pocketed her hands. 

“Then what is it? Why would you want to fire one of your better models?” 

“You think highly of this girl, but I promise, she’s a rookie at best.” 

“But why the fu- why would that matter? Why are you going to fire her?” 

“Do I look like I need to explain anything to you? She’s my employee and this is my decision.” Poppy punctuated as Bea glared at her. Even though Poppy knew she had gotten on Bea’s nerves before, the expression she gave was different from her other ones. Bea genuinely looked… angry. 

Though, even as Bea glared daggers at Poppy, she didn’t say a word. Mostly, because Poppy was correct. What say did Bea have in any of this?

“... you’re right. You don’t have to explain anything.” Bea concluded as Poppy remained still. Bea leaned against the counter, refusing to look at Poppy who was standing a few feet away. “But you should keep Lana on your team. You wouldn't want her to say something bad about the company.”

Poppy raised a brow, feeling her nails dig into her forearm as Bea turned around. She undid her little packet, placing some hair gel in her hand and smoothing her hair back perfectly. It looked slick when she pulled back, turning around and looking at Poppy calmly. 

“Are you… trying to blackmail me?” Poppy demanded as Bea shook her head. The gel kept her hair still as Bea gestured at Poppy. 

“I told you, I don’t have a relationship with Lana and you have no other reasons for firing her, right? From a business perspective, it’s not very clever.” It wasn’t the worst statement, possibly true, but Bea had worded it as if… as if Poppy’s father were standing in the bathroom at that very moment. 

“Are you trying to explain business to me? An actual business major?” Poppy asked, brows furrowing as Bea took a deep breath. 

“Yes, cause you’re clearly not using your head. I mean, what if I just waltzed into your company and started a relationship with all your models. Who would you hire then?” 

“This is the stupidest conversation I have ever heard. You majored in arts?!” Poppy hissed as if Bea were actually believing anything she was saying. Bea held up her palm, stopping Poppy from her rant as she looked coldly at the girl. That was a new one. 

“Rule number 1, we don’t talk about Belvoire.” Poppy, a little baffled, could only sputter in shock as Bea repocketed her hands. 

“Should I say I’m willing to look past it if you keep Lana as a model? Or maybe we shouldn't be using this contract to negotiate terms.” Bea asked, rocking on her heels as Poppy cleared her throat. She didn’t want to admit she had obviously gotten a little too riled up a few minutes ago, but Bea was just…

“...I will look past today, but stay away from my models. Stay away from Lana Bennet or else I’ll find other reasons to ruin her career… and even yours.” Poppy stated, glaring hard at Bea who didn’t look fazed. “Belle has a strict policy on workplace romances. That policy states: they do not exist.”  

“I told you, we don’t have a-” 

“I could have believed that for a second. Before we had this whole pointless exchange.” Poppy seethed, tightening her hold on her handbag and turning her back on Bea. “Let’s agree this didn’t happen.” 

“Way ahead of-” Poppy stormed out of the bathroom before Bea could finish her sentence. She might have shoved past a waiter making her way back to her table, but instead, Poppy stopped in the middle of the restaurant. She could just make out the scene of Don and Lana sitting together, but Poppy couldn't will herself to return to that conversation. She needed something else, a better distraction. 

--------------------------------------------

“Thank you Scott. Just… give me a few minutes.” 

Poppy stepped out of the car, leaving its side and walking forward. Concealed in darkness, the animal shelter still stood after several years. Even after these years, Poppy had still kept it running, in hopes that most animals would be able to find a forever home. Even if the people running it were a little lost. 

Taking out her spare key, Poppy unlocked the front, pushing open the door and flicking on a light. She had dreams before, of redesigning the shelter and expanding, but those dreams slowly faded, like most dreams Poppy had when she was younger. 

She shut the door, walking further into the shelter and stopping in front of the kennels where a few dogs were sleeping in comfy beds. A few were still awake though, notably, most of the tiny puppies were yipping around as Poppy reached to undo the top of their kennel. She reached down, picking up a small, jittery golden retriever puppy who licked her hand continuously. 

Poppy fought the smile on her face, placing the dog in her arms as she walked silently around the shelter. It was her calming space. It smelled, felt, and appeared the same as it had all those years ago when she first started taking it seriously. Even if her parents had no intentions for it, Poppy liked putting her mind into the needs of the shelter. She liked knowing… she had control over this one thing. 

The puppy squirmed in her arms, probably sniffing the bag of treats that the store had stocked as Poppy walked near the front in search for one. She stopped at one of the several dispensers near the front. Complimentary treats to feed shelter dogs when the customer was interested. Turning the knob, she grabbed a tiny bone, feeding the puppy who lapped it up happily. 

Tiny knick knacks were spread across the sales counter, some from employees and others from the shelter’s “achievements.” More noticeably, sitting in a medium-sized frame was a picture of Champ, one of the oldest dogs at the shelter who never got the chance of being adopted. His collar was hung on the side, a little large compared to the frame as Poppy looked at the photo. 

She didn’t like to think back on it. It should have been expected, he was an old dog, and he… Poppy shook her head, continuing to look at the photo of the dog. She would dwell on the happy moments, the moments where Champ was a happy dog. Conveniently, that would only bring up memories that Poppy shouldn't have thought back on. 

----------------------------------------------

“Zoey, I think I’m going to pass out.” 

“I would too if I had a project with Satan.” 

“Not that Zoey, I mean this?!” Bea snapped a photo of the tiny puppies in front of her who played around with each other. She sent it to Zoey who stayed on the line, before the girl awed. 

“Okay, that’s cute. Maybe this is the way the universe is apologizing to you.” Bea wiggled her fingers near the dogs, smiling wide as they yipped and barked as Bea laughed. 

“It’s working. Apology accepted. I miss Molly.” Bea whined, thinking back to her family’s Australian sheep dog that Bea had trained when she was a teenager. She was a good dog and obviously, well trained. 

“Finish up your project first babe. But be cautious, I have a feeling Poppy has something up her fine silk sleeves.” Bea nodded, pocketing her phone once Zoey hung up and walking further into the shelter. It was located in a convenient spot, making Bea question why she never stopped inside before, but there were some… issues. 

For one, parking was awful. Bea had to park in another lot and practically ran over to the shelter. There was also a problem with their sign in the front. Whether from rain, mold, or just age, it wasn’t attractive in the slightest. 

It was early in the morning, only the store employees vacated the lot as Bea waltzed up to the sales counter, about to ding the metal bell before hearing an unfamiliar sound. 

She peered near the back, spotting a familiar cascade of golden princess hair as Bea followed the sound. She pushed back the purple curtain hiding the room, noting the scene in front of her. 

Poppy, wearing a rather simple white blouse and black mini skirt, looked pretty adorable with her hair pinned up casually. She was holding a small brioche frise puppy that looked a little too happy being held by the blonde demon herself. 

Poppy gently stroked the puppy’s head, long pink nails against its soft white fur as Poppy… smiled brightly at one of the employees talking to her. 

“That’s wonderful news Troy. I’m thinking this commercial will help double adoptions in about five weeks after we start airing it on local media stations.” 

“Troy,” a young guy wearing a backwards baseball cap nodded. “It’s a fantastic idea Ms. Min-Sinclair.” 

“I thought so, but thank you for helping me arrange it so quickly. You’ve-” The puppy that Poppy had been holding began to yap frantically, conveniently barking in the direction where Bea was currently hiding behind the purple silk. Immediately, Poppy’s expression soured, causing Bea to gulp as she pushed herself away from the curtain. 

“Sorry, no one was out front.” After seeing Poppy so friendly, Bea expected something nice to come out of her mouth, instead, Poppy’s frown deepened. 

“You’re late .” She said, handing the puppy off to Troy who waved at Bea. Poppy had already begun to move, walking like a woman on a mission as Bea, a good seven to eight inches taller than her, sprinted to keep up. Even at her height, she walked pretty quickly while wearing two-inch heels. 

“So, cute puppy. Even cuter laughter.” Bea smiled to herself as Poppy quickly turned on her. Her heel made a squeaking noise against the tile as Bea stopped. Poppy glared up at her, jabbing a manicured finger close to Bea’s face as her own contorted into one of fury. 

“I swear Hughes, if you tell anyone about what you saw, I’ll skin you myself and make your dangly skin into a weaved hand basket.” She punctuated as Bea gulped, nodding to herself as Poppy huffed. Bea needed to remember that she wasn’t in her usual territory. All of these after-school volunteers worked for Poppy, meaning Bea was at a fat disadvantage. 

“Got it.” Bea mumbled, following Poppy further into the back where a ton of cameras and people were stationed. Immediately, people gravitated towards Poppy, fixing her hair, reapplying powder as Bea got the short end of the stick. She coughed loudly when Poppy was hit with a large spritz of perfume that may have hit Bea in the eyes. 

“What the fu-” Before Bea could finish, Poppy pushed a manuscript into her hands, almost sending Bea tumbling as Poppy continued to walk. 

“That’s your script SweetCreek. Be a dear and actually try to memorize it.”

“...Be a dear and try to memorize it.” Bea mocked her silently as Poppy left to talk with a sharp looking woman who was probably the producer. Flipping through the three page script, Bea took a minute to find her lines, conveniently titled “SweetCreek Corn Husker.” 

“...I love Downtown Animal Rescue, because I feel right at home in an animal shelter.” Bea frowned, glaring over at Poppy who was currently surrounded by puppies and kittens all playing around her feet. The devil was actually smiling, reaching down and petting some of the puppies as she cooed at them. 

The sight might have sent a pleasant tingle through Bea’s heart, but the rest of her was still aware. Poppy was enemy #1.  

“Ms. Min-Sinclair!” A man walked up to Poppy, holding a puppy in his hands as Poppy greeted him. “We did as you asked and brought out all the animals who have had trouble being adopted.” The boy smiled at all the animals bustling around in the playpen. 

“Thank you Julian. I…” Poppy’s eyes traveled over to a single crate near the corner, tsking to herself as she walked up to it. “I see Champ is still here.” She mumbled sadly, opening the kennel as an old rottweiler trotted out. He wagged his nub tail when he saw Poppy, letting her gently pat his head as she smiled down at the dog. 

“Perhaps we can change that?” Poppy said, walking back over to the kennel as Champ followed on her heels. Until, the old dog pivoted, trotting up to Bea who was casually looking down at the litter of puppies and the collection of kittens. 

Champ took a shaky seat in front of Bea, looking up with beady eyes as he thumped his foot against the flooring. “Hey buddy.” Bea smiled, crouching down and rubbing the dog behind his ears as Champ’s foot thumped even louder. Like a large rabbit. 

“You sure do have the energy of a young dog.” Bea commented, patting his back with little pressure just as Bea caught the whiff of rose perfume. 

Towering over her and Champ, Poppy crossed her arms definitely. Champ, the sneaky traitor, stood up, returning to Poppy’s side as Bea sighed. 

“Don’t tell me you’re having trouble with your one line, SweetCreek?” Poppy asked, tone full of snark as Bea rolled her eyes. 

“Let’s get this over with Satan. I’ve got homework.” Bea said, gesturing towards the pen where the camera people were currently waiting. 

Poppy turned on her heel, walking over to the camera crew as Bea begrudgingly followed. 

“I only need one take. This isn’t my first time in front of a camera, so, think you can work with that piggy?” Poppy asked, flipping her hair off her shoulder and smiling wide at the camera crew. They seemed to eat it up, unaware that she would probably eat their souls for breakfast if she had the chance. 

Bea took a step forward, ignoring the X on the floor that was conveniently near the very back. Puppies and kittens ran around on the floor, giving the shot a cute feel as Bea quickly scooped up one of the puppies running after a kitten. 

A tiny tooth peaked out of the puppy’s mouth as he looked up at Bea curiously. “Just get your lines in princess.” Rubbing the pug puppy’s foot, Bea flashed a smile to the camera. “I’ve got a feeling this will be an A+ project.” 

Poppy’s eye twitched at the statement before returning to her perfect princess mode when the camera began to blink red. 

“Here at Downtown Animal Rescue, you’re guaranteed to find your fur-ever friend.” Poppy smiled, gently patting Champ on the head as he obediently sat by her side. He looked up at her with puppy eyes, panting with glee as Bea rolled her eyes subtly. “Quality and comfort are absolute musts at the shelter and you’ll be greeted by our expertly trained staff, providing the utmost care in your search for a new friend. Why, ask anyone.” 

Poppy turned, the camera zooming in on Bea who was still faking a charming smile. “Of course.” Bea looked down at the puppy. He was adorable, obviously got acting chops as he licked Bea’s face. 

She laughed, the camera crew aweing as Poppy was probably silently fuming off to the side. “Here at Downtown Animal Shelter, I feel right at home! In fact, this little guy is coming home with me today!” Bea announced as the puppies and kittens around her yipped and mewed as if on cue. Zoey would have to have a field day later, Bea needed this win. And to help this adorable puppy as well, of course. 

“Excuse me, that’s-” Bea cut her off, walking closer to the camera and holding the puppy like that scene in the lion king. He woofed and it probably set some hearts on fire. 

“Yea, here at the Downtown Animal Shelter, you’ll find family!” Bea brought the puppy closer, letting him wiggle violently as the cameras continued to roll. 

“Cut! That was adorable! We can trademark that line, right? Right?” The producer asked, instructing the camera crew to get more shots of Bea and the tiny puppy who seemed to understand he was going to be adopted. 

“So, where’s the paperwork?” Bea asked as the puppy continued to assault her face with puppy kisses. Julian, one of the helpers, gently reached for the puppy. 

“I’ll handle it Ms. Hughes. I’m glad to see the runt of the pug litter finally get adopted.” He walked off, carrying the puppy who yipped as Bea sighed happily. 

“Ms. Hughes, that was wonderful.” The producer exclaimed, walking up to Bea with a happy smile. “Have you ever considered acting?” 

Before Bea could reply, Poppy walked up, roughly grabbing Bea’s arm and practically pulling her down so they were face to face. 

“What the hell was that?!” Poppy seethed, face growing red as the producer backed away carefully. “How do you screw up one line?! I knew you were stupid Hughes but-” 

“Chill out Queen B.” Bea smiled, pushing herself back and smoothing out her jacket. “I told you, A+ project.” Poppy growled, rolling her eyes aggressively as she crossed her arms. 

“Well, if we end up with a bad grade, I will personally be blaming you and wishing for your future disappearance.” Poppy growled, turning quickly on her heel just as Champ trotted up. 

He sniffed around Bea’s shoes, huffing softly as Poppy looked down at the dog. 

“Champ, here.” She said, waiting for the rottweiler to approach. Instead, Champ took a seat next to Bea’s feet, looking lovingly at Poppy as Bea laughed. 

“Wow Pops, your dog likes me more.” Bea smiled, walking to the side and taking out her phone. She bent down, snapping a photo of Champ and beaming at the screen. 

“Hey, this is cute. Want me to frame it for you?” Bea asked, holding out her phone towards Poppy. 

The blonde’s face grew red, tentatively holding out her hand before slapping Bea’s wrist, causing her to drop the phone. It crashed to the floor, cracking the glass as Bea stared down in sadness. “Damn it.” Bea mumbled, leaning down and picking it up. 

She fiddled with the buttons, letting the phone slowly return to life. “Nice try, blonde brownie.” She wiggled the phone in front of Poppy before feeling a presence bump her leg as Champ trotted up to Poppy who looked like steam was coming out of her ears. 

She spun again on her heel, flipping Bea off as Champ followed closely. While her phone was slowly dying in her hands, Bea pocketed it, watching Poppy walk away before taking a deep breath. Homework could wait for a bit. 

Bea, ever the simp, followed her and Champ. “So, any plans for the rest of your day?” Bea asked curiously as Poppy parted the purple curtain in the back. It wacked Bea in the face when Poppy let it fall. 

“None of your business SweetCreek.” 

“Well, are we actually finishing this project?” 

“No need, I hired my daddy’s editor. The commercial will air in two weeks. You can get out of my sight now.” 

Bea rolled her eyes, leaning against the counter as Poppy walked around in the back. She reached for a small bag of dog food, holding it close as she closed some cabinets. 

“...Are you actually doing work?” 

The cabinet slammed closed, Poppy holding the handle as she glared at Bea. “Do you need something Hughes? Besides ruining an already awful afternoon?” 

“No, but I thought you wanted to deal with the Chloe situation.” 

“I sent you an address, be there later tonight.” Poppy mumbled, reaching for a plastic bowl that she set on a spare counter. Champ was at her feet, drool dripping from his mouth as Poppy filled the bowl. 

“Okay, well… is there anything I can help out with here?” 

“No.” 

“So I can just sit here and look effortlessly charming?” 

“What happened to your stupid homework?” Poppy snapped, setting the bowl in front of Champ as he began to eat hungrily. Poppy returned the bag to the cabinet, walking past the dog and towards the front, possibly to shoo Bea off, but instead slipping just a little in her heels due to Champ’s previous drool. 

Bea jolted forward, grabbing onto Poppy’s forearm to steady her as the blonde sharply gasped. The two locked eyes for a split second. Bea caught the strong scent of Poppy’s perfume as Poppy stared straight into Bea’s eyes. The shelter seemed to grow quiet, only the sound of Champ’s munching rang as Bea held onto Poppy’s arm. 

“...Let go.” Poppy mumbled, voice low as she didn’t break eye contact with Bea. It felt like hours when really it had been only a few seconds as Bea felt her mouth go dry. Did Poppy’s eyes always look so golden?  

“...Is that a demand or a question?” Bea challenged, just as Poppy wrenched her arm away, holding it to her chest as she glared at Bea. 

“Get out of my shelter.” Poppy stated, enough bite in her tone to let Bea know she had hit a nerve. Bea sighed. 

She lifted her hands in defeat, smiling softly as she backed away. “I’ll see you tonight then, drama queen.” Bea waved goodbye, specifically to Champ as she walked out of the shelter, her new puppy Otis in hand along with a puppy starter kit. Though, not before airdropping Poppy that rather adorable photo of Champ. 

-----------------------------------------------------

“Hey Bea! We’re going out for a round of drinks before heading home! Wanna go grab Lana?” Mei asked, watching as Bea reapproached the table. 

Gina sat a small plastic box in front of Bea, tapping the top gently as Bea looked down at it. She reached for it, brought it to her side and smiled at her colleagues. 

“I think I’m heading home for the night, everyone. Gina, great to have you back, we’ll talk later.” Bea smiled, waving goodbye as the group took off. Though her composure was calm, Bea’s mind ran with thoughts. Sadly, Poppy related-thoughts as she felt a hand touch her forearm. 

“Hey you. Where’d you take off to?” Lana asked, smiling like a girl who had one to many as she wrapped herself around Bea’s arm. The smell of Don’s perfume surrounded Lana, faintly, but still apparent as Bea slowly backed her arm away. 

“Sorry, I wanted to have some time with Gina. Celebrate her return and all.” Looking down at the woman, Bea cleared her throat. 

“Hey, are you okay to drive home?” 

“Hmm, I took a taxi. You know…” Lana trailed her fingertips up Bea’s arm, smiling dreamily as Bea shook her head gently. 

“Let me drive you home? I’ve… got some stuff I need to tell you.” Bea said, leading Lana towards the exit of the restaurant and towards her bike. 

Twenty minutes later while attempting to hold onto Lana while also driving down the streets, Bea helped her walk up the stairs, guiding her gently before stopping in front of her door. 

Lana fiddled with the door, laughing to herself as Bea watched silently. When the door clicked open, Lana turned on her heel, grinning like a model as Bea returned the smile in a tense manner. 

“Thank you for tonight… do you-” 

“Lana.” Bea stated, gulping softly as she shook her head. “This… this isn’t going to work out.” 

“What are you on? I was asking if you wanted some coffee or-” 

“No. I mean, this.” Bea gestured between her and Lana. “I haven’t been honest with you and I just… you should focus on your modeling.” 

“Are… are you giving me the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech?” Lana asked, her expression sobering up as Bea rubbed her neck awkwardly. Standing in the middle of the apartment complex hall, Bea wanted to have enough room to back away, but she was unfortunately rather close to Lana who looked a little more sober and a lot more angry. 

“To be fair, we were never dating, but-” 

“But what Bea?” Lana asked, eyebrows furrowing as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her copper colored hair fell in twists around her eyes as she glared. “Is it because of Don? Bea, you don’t have to be jealous about-” 

“It’s not about Don. It’s about… me and you not working out. You’ve got your career and I’ve got mine. While we work under Po- Ms. Min-Sinclair, we won’t work.” 

“Bullshit. Why would she matter in any of this?” 

“Because Lana. I can’t explain it to you right now, but we should quit while we’re ahead.” 

Lana took a step forward, eyes cloudy just a little as she sniffed aloud. “So that’s it? You just want to forget about all of this?” 

“Lana…” Bea looked down at her feet, silently cursing to herself as she gulped. No matter how much she wanted to convince herself, it was for the best. Lana needed this job and Poppy was… relentless. “I’m sorry it had to be this way, but-” 

“Just stop Bea. Stop making excuses and actually tell me what I did wrong?” Lana pleaded, stepping a little closer. Bea could smell her chanel no. 5 perfume, the scent intoxicating, but another smell filled Bea’s senses. Poppy had been rather close in the bathroom and she had always applied it just enough to make anyone remember her. It always seemed to work on Bea and that meant… she had to end this quickly before she chickened out. 

Bea shook her head, feeling her stomach drop at her tone as Bea shrugged. It was all for the best. “I don’t date, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.” 

“...What? Are you-” 

“I’m serious. I’m just looking for something fun and I think you got the impression I wanted to take you out on a date. I’m not the dating type and you’re too much sometimes so I-” Bea stopped herself, cutting off her rambling as Lana stayed silent before glaring up at Bea. 

“Are you kidding me? You’re just going to spring this on me after everything we…no, fuck, forget it.” 

Lana took a step back, hugging herself as she looked at Bea. “And this… this really meant nothing to you? It’s not just because of what I did at dinner?” 

Bea felt her heart thump in her chest, gulping in thick air as she nodded. “You didn’t seriously think I would date you right?” 

At her words, Lana’s composure broke, bowing her head and stepping back, hitting the door gently. “Then I’m sorry I got us wrong. Fuck, I should have listened to them all.” Lana mumbled, walking further back before she let the door shut in front of Bea. Lana’s footsteps disappeared a few minutes later, only the quiet following as Bea stared at the door. 

It was a miserable line. One she had used before on countless girls who wanted to be something serious, but it was necessary. Even if Lana was… Lana, there would be too much trouble. For Lana’s career and even Kath’s career as well. But…

She could have saved this. Could have knocked and told Lana she was crazy about her, that Poppy was insane and she made Bea do it, but Bea just stood there, unmoving and emotionless. 

Bea should have been heartbroken. After all, Lana was perfect and worth any struggle. Instead, her mind was stuck. Stuck on one thing. 

“I need Poppy Min-Sinclair out of my fucking life.” 

-------------------------------------------------

세계의 끝까지