unconventional

All in the Eyes

"Alright, walk with me Paulson. Come on." I say, slinging her arm over my shoulder. "One foot after the other."

"I am so lucky to have you, you take care of me." She says, breathing nothing but straight tequila into the side of my face. She pokes my cheek, little giggles escaping her lips.

"Yes, I do take care of you. It is one of the many joys of my life, now come on the car is just outside."

"That sounded sarcastic, was that sarcastic?" She asks, swinging her head around to Lily who stands behind us stifling a laugh. "Lily, is she being sarcastic with me?"

"I am not involved in this."

"Lily! Come on, Lily! Be on my side, oh please be on my side. It's fun over on my side-"

"How much did she drink?" Lily asks me, as Sarah continues to blabber off to herself.

"Two martinis, and a shot. She's just a lightweight."

"Am not! I am not a lightweight." She pokes my cheek again, a bright smile on her face.

Taking half a step forward she stops when a familiar voice is heard:

"What in gods name is taking so long back there?" Jessica asks, walking back into the restaurant and seeing the current predicament we were in. "Oh, jesus christ."

"Oh my god, it's Jessica Lange! Look honey, it's two time Academy Award winner Jessica Lange." Jessica just shakes her head with a laugh. "We should bow."

She tries to make her way to the floor but I pull her back up quickly. "Nope, let's not get on the dirty restaurant floor. That's not something we should do." Another step forward.

"Lange, did you know that Scout had a crush on you when she was teenager."

"Oh, did she?"

"No, I didn't."

"Oh, yes she did! She told me, I heard it with my own two ears and she also-"

"Alright! Let's not go spilling my secrets to the world. Why don't we just get you home, okay?"

We take another step, it was incredibly slow but at least we're making progress. "Are you coming home with me?"

"Yes, Sarah. We live together, sweetie. My home is your home."

"You're right. We do live together. What a wonderful thing life is." One more step forward, the car is now in sight. "Can you say that again?"

"Say what again?"

"That- that home thing."

"My home is your home?"

She throws her head back, clutching to her chest and nearly flying completely out of my grasp. "That's the sweetest fucking thing i've ever heard. I love that, I wanna get that tattooed on my forehead or something."

"Let's not do that."

"We should get tattoos!" She says, the idea fully sinking in her head. I watch as the thought processes and the excitement grows. "Honey, let's go get tattoos."

"Oh, for the love of god, we're never making it out of this restaurant, are we?" I ask, Lily walking up beside me with a smile.

"I'm afraid you're stuck here, darling."

___________________________________

"She doing alright?"

"Out like a light." I say earning laughs from the group as I enter my living room. Sitting down beside Lily on the couch, Jessica sitting in the chair across the way.

"You two seem happier than ever." Jessica says with a smile, twirling her finger around the rim of the wine glass. "It's sweet, honestly. I'm happy that she's finally with someone that makes her happy."

"I'm just glad to be that person. She really is the greatest, i'm lucky to have her."

"Oh, look at that. It's midnight, already." Jessica says looking at the clock that sits ontop of the fireplace. She stands up from the chair. "I should get going. I'll be seeing you tomorrow?"

I stand up as well, taking her empty glass in my hand. "Yes ma'am, I have to stop by the studio quick and get fit for one of my costumes so I should be meeting you guys shortly after."

"Right. The show. When is opening night again?"

"Little over a week."

"Nervous?"

"Terrified."

"Good. That's how you know you'll do good." I follow her to the door, opening it up for her as she puts her jacket on. "I'll see you tomorrow, kid."

She kisses me on both cheeks and goes to walk through the door. "Wait," turning on her herls she wraps a scarf around her neck. "you knew about Sarah and I?"

"What do you mean, darling?"

"Like from the beginning. I always got a feeling you knew something that I wasn't telling you. At the bar that one night, you just - I don't know, gave me a look."

"Ahh, yes. I was wondering when you would ask me about this. Yes darling, of course I knew." She turns on her heels once again, heading down the long corridor.

"But how?"

"It's the eyes, it's all in the eyes." She pauses for a moment, turning around from the middle of the hall. "There is a way you look at eachother that words can't even hide. That time at the bar, when you guys left together, I knew you were trying not to like her, but it's the way you look at her. It's as if she's the only thing you've ever seen, the only thing you've ever loved."

"Huh. You got all that from my eyes?"

"Guess so, must be my witchy King Kong intuition or something." She waves her hand up, turning the corner. "Goodnight, kid."

"Goodnight."