Work Text:
A bad day at work led Elizabeth Schuyler to going to ‘ Hurricane ’. It’s the bar that her good friend Lafayette works at. He told all his friends that they could come and get half priced drinks anytime they wanted. Eliza wants some whiskey. Or a Tequila Sunrise. Either would be great. She finds herself a seat at the bar and sits down, sighing heavily. She runs her fingers through her hair.
She looks around the bar, people watching as she waits for Lafayette to serve her. A pretty girl with red lips catches her eyes. She watches that girl as she waits.
“Mon amie! You look exhausted! Tequila sunrise?” Lafayette has his hair up in a bun, and a bright smile on his face. Eliza barely nods before he’s whisking away to get the drink. She hardly blinks before he’s back with her drink in hand. He is still wearing the same big smile.
“Who’s that, Laf?” Eliza gestures to the girl with red lips. Lafayette’s eyes crinkle as his smile grows. Eliza starts drinking as he speaks.
“That’s Mariah! Remember the sweet girl I work with that I was telling you about? That’s her!” Before Eliza can respond, Lafayette is responding to the call of ‘bartender’ with a smile on his face. He sure knows how to treat a customer. He always has a smile on his face. He whisks back.
“She’s cute.” Eliza says softly, not even really meaning for Laf to hear her. He smirks. She doesn’t see because she’s taken to stirring her drink. She’s hit a bit of a dry spell recently. Well, maybe not recently.... Maybe it’s been a few months…. Maybe it’s been a little over a year…. Who’s counting? Not Eliza.
Lafayette is suddenly very close to her face, he raises his eyebrows, “Oh, yeah? You think so?” Eliza startles backwards. Lafayette winks at her, “Lemme help a sister out.” Before she can even protest he’s gone. How the hell does he move that quickly? It boggles her mind.
“She knows you exist. And she thinks you’re cute. Here’s her number, she gets off at eleven.”
“You were gone for like thirty seconds!!” Eliza exclaims, almost knocking over her drink. Lafayette winks his left eye, then he winks his right eye.
“I’ve got magic, Eliza.”
-
Eliza doesn’t work up the courage to text Mariah until almost a week later. Everytime she pens a text she gets scared she sounds too desperate and deletes it. It’s not until Aaron Burr jokes about her love life one day during lunch break. It was humiliating and she just couldn’t be single anymore. Even if Mariah was nothing but a one night stand at least Eliza got something .
-
Eliza: hey, this is Eliza… Laf’s friend, i’ve agonized over what to say for this whole week, and yk what, fuck it, wanna get dinner?
Mariah: You’re adorable, hell yeah I wanna get dinner
-
They plan to go to a mutually liked restuarant that, not surprisingly to anyone, Lafayette suggested. Then Eliza has to go through the bullshit agony of deciding what to wear. She decides on a dress. She is going casual boho, and she’s going to wear her hair down. Mariah’s cute, and Eliza doesn’t want to go full out sexy on a first date. Who knows, Mariah might be more than a one night stand.
-
Eliza can’t stop laughing. Mariah is hilarious. She’s barely touched her food because Mariah won’t stop making jokes. She dabs at her eyes again. Mariah smiles at her and casually grabs her hand.
“I’m really enjoying this, Eliza.” Mariah squeezes her hand gently and sets it back down. Eliza flushes bright red.
Eliza gently touches her foot to Mariah’s, “You’re so sweet.” She finally takes a second bite of her chicken parmesan.
-
Kissing Mariah is better than expected. Mariah had offered to drive Eliza home as she had ridden in a taxi to the restaurant. Eliza obviously said yes, as she didn’t want to stop being around the hilarious and beautiful Mariah.
When Mariah got out of her car to walk Eliza to her door she leaned in for a gentle kiss. The first one was kind of terrible. They both giggled and tried again. The second kiss was much better. Someone, definitely not Eliza, deepened the kiss. She became a little frantic after that.
‘“Hey wanna come inside for coffee?” Eliza asks, brushing a hair away from Mariah’s face.
“Real coffee or are you asking me to come inside and inspect your bed?”
“I dunno how easy it’ll be to inspect my bed from between my thighs.”
“Touché.”
-
The morning after isn’t even awkward. Eliza wakes up right before Mariah does. She offers Mariah the shower and some clothes she can wear after. Then she cooks some eggs and toast while she waits. Mariah comes into the kitchen freshly showered, and glowing.
“Holy shit.” Eliza breathes. Mariah raises her eyebrows.
“Do I have something on my face?”
“No,” Eliza flushes, “uh, you’re just… really pretty.” Now they’re both blushing. Mariah walks over and kisses her cheek and Eliza is positive she looks like a tomato.
“Thank you. So are you.”
-
Three years later Eliza still gets that same butterfly feeling in her stomach when Mariah walks in the room.