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"No.... No. No, no. Wait... maybe?" Barbie mutters and looks at Sasha for some approval. She shakes her head, and Barbie agrees with a hint of uncertainty lingering in her expression.
"This is not going well at all. You’ve practically rejected ALL the men on this app," Sasha says as she drags her hand across her face. already feeling exasperated with this whole Tinder thing, and it's only been ten minutes.
Gloria, Barbie, and Sasha are lying on the bed. It’s been a few months and Sasha had finally convinced Barbie to give dating a shot and explore the possibilities. Gloria, on the other hand, thinks it might be a bit too soon, but she keeps her thoughts to herself,
‘ opting to take a sip from her coffee cup and mutter a nonchalant ‘whatever feels right,’ followed by a small supportive smile directed at Barbie, although she can't shake the faint butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She quickly dismisses the notion, attributing it to the coffee's temperature, and she realized that — that reason is stupid because her coffee is cold. ‘
"They all seem... all right…? They just all look the same. Blonde, fishing, camping, horses? It kinda feels like I’m seeing Ken after Ken after Ken," Sasha swipes left again, and her words reinforce her point when a guy named "Ken, 26. Love fishing, and you have to love riding and guns to get with me" pops up on the screen. Barbie's face scrunches in disgust, and Sasha mirrors her reaction, rolling her eyes at the repetitive profile.
Gloria sighs, "Online dating is probably the worst way to go. Maybe try meeting people in person? Not through... this." Gloria motions to the open Tinder app. She’s perched against her pillows with her drawings in front of her, she shares the space with Barbie and Sasha seated at the end of the bed.
Barbie glances at Gloria, then her drawings. "They look amazing." Gloria blushes as she finds Barbie's warm gaze fixated on her sketches, appreciating the encouragement. "Thanks, it's... their new," Gloria comments, pointing towards her latest creations, trying to keep the focus away from her own embarrassment.
Sasha observes the subtle exchange between her mom and Barbie, and for some inexplicable reason, she feels a tinge of awkwardness in the air. As if she's caught in the middle of some unspoken connection between them, she can't quite decipher.
"We’re getting distracted. Just a few more swipes, come on. It can’t be too bad. And mom, I love them." Sasha's voice breaks the momentary silence, redirecting their attention to the ongoing swiping session. Gloria whispers a small thank you to Sasha and returns her grin, appreciating her daughter's enthusiasm for her artwork.
A few more swipes, and they stumble upon a guy named Adam, "Look, he doesn’t seem so bad — Adam. 25, I act and cook. I just want to share some experiences with someone. Just here to vibe and have fun! — wow, see! Just wants to have some fun. You know who’s also fun?"
"Me!"
"You!"
‘Me.’ The thought immediately pops into Gloria's head, but she brushes it away as soon as it appears. Gloria joins in on them; her interest suddenly piques at the mention of Adam and the fact he doesn’t seem too much of a bad guy on the surface. after all, she cares deeply for Barbie and wants to ensure she doesn't end up with the wrong person.
"Okay... maybe? Swipe right," Gloria suggests, feeling a bit of apprehension about the potential match.
Sasha eagerly does the honors, and it's a match. Satisfaction oozes from Sasha's expression, appearing somewhat smug. Barbie, though somewhat excited about the match, can't help but feel uneasy at the prospect of going out with a random guy, let alone a man. She thinks it would be so much easier if Gloria was there, or even better, if she were the one Barbie was going out with, as friends, of course.
Right? Barbie ponders for a moment before Sasha playfully nudges her, pushing her to take the next step.
"Come on! Message him. Ask him what he likes to do — all that grown-up dating stuff."
Gloria watches the interaction, simultaneously paying attention to her Barbie sketches and the hushed whispers between Sasha and Barbie. Her heightened hearing allows her to pick up snippets of the conversation, ranging from advice on what to say to musings about potential icebreakers.
'No, that’s too formal.' 'Okay, do not ask that.' 'Yes, yes, good.'
She’s peacefully listening until Barbie laughs at something this guy Adam says. She immediately looks up and feels some sort of lightness in her body, A subtle heaviness seems to settle in her heart too, though she can't quite pinpoint why. She can’t tell, but it's there. She tries to muster a supportive smile, and she doesn’t know why it feels like she’s trying to muster one so hard and it's not just a natural reaction.
"What’d he say?" Gloria inquires, trying to maintain her composure as Barbie glances back at her with her signature smile, a gesture Gloria has grown fond of. Her own return smile comes effortlessly, almost reflexively, but she senses an odd tightness in her chest that she can't explain. She dismisses it, chalking it up to her tendency to overthink.
Barbie immediately moves closer to Gloria and sits beside her, leaning closer. Barbie shows Gloria the phone and text messages between them.
Gloria just nods, but she can’t seem to focus on the text messages. Something about 'Barb?' 'I love pink.' And so does he, apparently. Gloria tries not to roll her eyes at Adam's mention of loving the same color as Barbie, finding it clichéd and a tad cringy.
As Sasha mentions the possibility of a date, Gloria's nerves start to surface, and she can't help but voice her concerns about it being too early. Inwardly, she's surprised at how much it's affecting her, considering she has no reason to be so invested in Barbie's dating life. Or does she?
"Whoa, whoa, what? A date? Already? I — uh — um, isn’t that like… way too early." Gloria nervously laughs as Sasha rolls her eyes and groans, "Mom! Barbie knows how to go out and commute now. She’s grown. A grown Barbie doll at that." Sasha says as she shakes Barbie's shoulders, trying to encourage her mom and Barbie that this is a good idea.
When did she become such a hype girl?
"Besides, he said he’s going to pick her up. In his new car." Sasha wiggles her eyebrows at the word car, which causes Gloria to scoff and give Sasha a look. Sasha stops and pokes Barbie's shoulder.
Her thoughts turn to the car Sasha mentioned, and a pang of jealousy flares up for a split second. She quickly tries to quell the feeling, pushing it aside as irrational. But the seed has been planted, and a part of her wonders if she's just overprotective, or if there's something more to her emotions.
“So… he wants to impress her? I mean." Gloria scoffs, not knowing why she’s even super affected by this, but she goes to comment anyways. "Do you even care?" Gloria waits as Barbie thinks for a second and shakes her head.
"Well, no. but I wouldn’t mind," Barbie says as she looks at Gloria. Gloria turns away Gloria takes a deep breath, attempting to divert her attention back to her Barbie sketches to regain her composure. her mind feels scattered, hoping to find some comfort in her Barbie sketches but instead, she finds herself feeling the same. Or worse.
‘I have a nice car.’ Gloria thinks, furrowing her eyebrows.
Gloria takes a small breath. She tries to do a small stroke on her sketch, but it ends up being crooked. Barbie comments that it's still beautiful, though. ‘Like you’ Barbie pairs it with a soft smile. Gloria tries not to think about it much. Her next stroke looks even worse.
Barbie tells her the same thing again.
---
After much contemplation, Gloria finally relents and agrees to let Barbie give this dating thing a try. Sasha playfully teases her, commenting on how it's a bit strange that Barbie needs her mom's approval for a date. The look Sasha gives her causes Gloria to shrug, feeling a bit embarrassed that she always defaults to being cautious and protective of Barbie.
Plus, he could be dangerous. So, Gloria thinks that her action is completely justified.
"She doesn't need my approval!" Gloria tries to defend herself, but Sasha shoots her a more intense look, prompting her to explain herself further.
"But she did," Sasha counters, taking a seat on the couch beside her mom as they wait for Barbie to get ready. "You're not her mom.”
"I'm your mom," Gloria retorts, giving Sasha a stern glare while running her hand through her hair in frustration. The sketches she's been working on just don't seem to capture the essence she's aiming for.
Sasha's voice lowers as she mutters, "She could also be my mom." The unexpected comment catches Gloria off guard, and she's about to inquire further when Barbie's presence enters the room, diverting her attention.
Barbie’s wearing a maroon dress that perfectly hugs her frame.
Barbie walks in wearing a stunning maroon dress that perfectly hugs her frame. While Gloria is no stranger to Barbie's extensive wardrobe, there's something about this choice that strikes her as different. She can't help but notice that Barbie has put in extra effort this time, all for the sake of meeting this guy.
A guy!
Do I look good?" Barbie asks, her gaze shifting between Gloria and Sasha. However, it's the way Barbie's eyes linger on Gloria that leaves her feeling a bit breathless.
Gloria takes a deep breath, unable to hide the genuine smile that creeps onto her face. "You look beautiful," she says almost breathlessly, caught off guard by her own reaction. Sasha raises an eyebrow, observing the interaction between her mom and Barbie with curiosity. She makes a mental note to talk to them later about whatever is going on between them. (Sasha forgets.)
Gloria glances at her daughter and her obvious suspicion. She immediately looks away, obviously caught in whatever antic her daughter had reeled her into.
Sasha claps her hands to break the moment, bringing everyone back to reality. "Okay, anyways, remember, if he does anything weird or acts like a creep, just make a lame excuse about going to the bathroom.”
Barbie nods, absorbing Sasha's advice.
“If he is then… I don't know, climb out of the bathroom window or something? Don't you guys have a spy Barbie for that?" She tries to lighten the mood with a playful remark, hoping to ease Barbie's nerves.
"No, Sasha," Gloria interjects, pointing a finger at her daughter playfully. "Barbie, just message me, and I'll call you. Pretend you have an emergency, and I'll come pick you up.”
Barbie appreciates the concern, and gratitude fills her voice as she says, "Thank you." The sincerity in Barbie's words warms Gloria's heart, making it feel like it's about to leap out of her throat.
Gloria’s heart does pop out of her throat.
---
Adam finally arrives, and Gloria watches through the windows as Barbie leaves the house, heading towards the waiting convertible. Sasha stands beside her, equally curious about the guy.
As Adam greets Barbie with a smile and opens the car door for her, Gloria can't help but scoff under her breath. Unbeknownst to her, Sasha clears her throat, bringing Gloria back to the present moment. She continues to watch until Barbie is comfortably seated in the convertible. Even from afar, Gloria can see the spark in Barbie's eyes as she glances back at her.
She’s still watching through the window when Barbie sees her. Gloria does a small smile and a wave. Barbie is about to wave back when Adam places his arm around her, and they drive off together.
Gloria buries herself in her sketches that night.
Sasha, curious about her mom's behavior, catches her glancing out the window from time to time when she goes to the kitchen to grab a drink.
"Expecting someone?" Sasha teases, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Gloria is caught off guard, quickly shaking her head and babbling, "What? No?" She waves Sasha off, trying to brush off her daughter's playful observation.
But deep down, Gloria knows she can't ignore the mix of worry and something else that's been gnawing at her since Barbie left on her date. It's as if her heart and mind are at odds, and she can't shake off the feeling that she's somehow more invested in Barbie's happiness than she's willing to admit.
-
Barbie gets home an hour later.
Barbie comes in and immediately gets out of her heels and falls onto the couch with Gloria before she can even ask how it was.
“Wha— what happened?” Gloria says, sitting up and putting her Barbie sketches aside and turning to face an exhausted and disappointed Barbie.
Barbie closes her eyes and lets out a big exhale. “Where do I even start!” Barbie exclaims as she throws her hands up in the air. It causes Gloria to smile a little.
“He was really bad, wasn’t he?” Gloria asks as she leans her back against the couch and waits for Barbie to answer.
Barbie sits up and turns to look at her. She nods, and Gloria just laughs a little.
“He talked too much, he didn’t ask me what I liked. He was all, ‘Oh, yes, she can have this.’ He was speaking for me. And then was shocked, I mean, really, really! Shocked when I didn’t kiss him goodbye!” Barbie exclaims, frustrated. She buries her face into the pillow that sat beside Gloria.
“Oh, he’s terrible!” Gloria comments as she rubs Barbie’s back.
“Men are terrible,” Barbie says after a while.
Gloria sighs, “They are.”
“If I was a guy I’d go on a date with you,” Barbie says as she rises from the pillow. Gloria turns red and immediately runs a hand through her hair. “Oh, wow. That’s — thank you. Barbie, that’s sweet.” Barbie blinks at her.
Gloria looks away and Barbie laughs.
-
The next day, Sasha finds out about Barbie's recent dating escapades, and she's clearly disappointed. Gloria, on the other hand, shrugs, not entirely surprised, Despite Gloria's reservations, Sasha already has someone new lined up to take Barbie out on yet another date.
"This is going a bit too fast—" Gloria tries to interject, but Sasha is already enthusiastically listing all the potential positive aspects of this new guy, trying to boost Barbie's spirits.
Gloria forces a smile as Barbie leaves the house for her second date of the week.
-
And so it goes, Barbie continues going on one date after another, but it seems that none of them are turning into anything substantial. After her seventh date, Barbie starts feeling defeated, realizing that this pattern isn't working out for her. She contemplates taking a break from dating for a while until Sasha suddenly lights up with an idea that catches both Gloria's and Barbie's attention.
"What if the reason these dates keep failing is that… you're not into men," Sasha whispers to herself, a realization dawning upon her. Gloria raises her eyebrows, intrigued by the thought, and Barbie ponders the idea.
Gloria can't help the eager feeling that reaches out to her when Barbie admits, "Maybe I'm not." A smile escapes Gloria's lips, but she quickly hides it behind her coffee mug, not wanting to reveal too much.
Sasha picks up on the possibility and asks Barbie if she wants to try dating women instead. Barbie agrees to give it a shot, and Sasha takes the lead in searching for potential matches.
Gloria tries her best to smile.
As Sasha leaves to grab Barbie's phone, it leaves Gloria and Barbie alone for a moment. Gloria can't help but stare at her coffee, her mind swirling with thoughts and emotions. "Excited?" she asks, glancing up to find Barbie already looking at her. Feeling a bit flustered, she quickly averts her gaze back to her coffee.
Barbie nods and admits, "It should go better this time. If not, I might just be really bad at this dating thing." Her self-deprecating humor elicits a soft laugh from Gloria, who reassures her, "I'm sure that's not the case at all!”
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Barbie throws an unexpected question at Gloria, "Would you date me?" The inquiry catches Gloria off guard, and before she can respond, Sasha returns, pulling Barbie into another round of swiping left or right.
Relieved she didn't have to answer the question right away, Gloria is left pondering it silently. She isn't sure how to respond, as her feelings for Barbie seem to go beyond friendship, but she's afraid to admit it even to herself.
As Sasha and Barbie head to the couch, Barbie steals a glance back at Gloria before leaving. Unaware of this, Gloria has her back turned and is now facing the sink. Her hands clutch the sink tightly, and when she finally lets go, she notices they are slightly pink from the pressure.
---
Barbie's first date with a woman goes great.
Sasha, eager for all the juicy details, bombards Barbie with questions as soon as she returns home, and Barbie is more than happy to share her excitement. She describes the evening with a genuine smile, and Sasha hangs on to every word. (She could never admit this to her friends.)
Meanwhile, Gloria observes the exchange from the dining table. Her pen hovers above her sketchbook, but she seems to be clutching it a bit harder than usual. As she tries to focus on her drawings, she can't shake off the lingering thoughts about Barbie's date. She tells herself it's just a matter of being burnt out creatively, but deep down, she knows it's more than that.
The strokes of her pen come out worse than before, revealing the turmoil within her mind. She wonders why she's feeling this way, and the realization dawns on her that perhaps it's not just about art or stress. The possibility that her feelings for Barbie might extend beyond friendship scares her.
As Barbie and Sasha continue their conversation, Gloria finds herself stealing glances at Barbie. She notices how her face lights up as she shares the details of her date, how her eyes shine with happiness, and how her laughter fills the room. And with each stolen glance, Gloria's heart tugs a little more.
Gloria just stares at her sketches.
---
They even go on a second date. But when Barbie gets home, she mentions that the girl wasn’t really who she made out to be.
Gloria finally lets out the breath she was holding. Scared to admit that she was terrified it would go well.
While looking at Gloria, Barbie tells Sasha, "She's not the woman I'm looking for." Gloria swears it's just an accidental glance that their eyes meet, but in that brief moment, something passes between them. An unspoken understanding, a connection that Gloria tries her best to brush off.
Barbie tells Gloria how she loves how messy her hair looks.
Gloria tries to change the subject.
---
“I think I'm done with Tinder,” Barbie says as she approaches Gloria, who is leaning against the kitchen counter, engrossed in her sketching. Gloria lets out a frustrated "Shit" as she messes up another stroke when Barbie stands beside her, observing her work.
"Sorry, It's just ugh..." Gloria expresses her disappointment, setting down her pen. "I feel like I'm getting worse at this than better." She laughs nervously and glances at Barbie, who is holding one of Gloria's sketches.
"That’s exactly what I feel about Tinder,” Barbie admits.
"It's not you," Gloria assures, attempting to draw a straight line on one of her Barbie outfits.
"It might be," Gloria pauses and looks at Barbie. Barbie’s biting her lip.
Confused, Gloria inquires, "What do you mean?" Barbie sits up straighter, and Gloria mirrors her posture, still holding her pen.
Gloria’s about to ask which one she’s looking at when Barbie interrupts.
"I think lesbian Barbie would look better with Gloria, don’t you think?" Barbie turns the sketch around, and Gloria's face flushes red. She can't believe she forgot about that particular sketch, and now Barbie is holding it.
And then it dawns on Gloria what Barbie is implying.
‘Better with Gloria, don’t you think?’
Gloria's gaze locks with Barbie's, and she can't help but wave the sketch around in jest. Barbie brings the sketch closer to Gloria's face, asking her, "Can you add that?" There's a mix of excitement and nerves in Barbie's expression, making Gloria laugh. Barbie relaxes a bit as Gloria jokes, "I kind of need a reference.”
"I have a pretty good memory of what she looks like," Barbie grins, causing Gloria's face to grow even warmer. She grabs the sketch from Barbie's hand and places it on the kitchen counter, trying to compose herself.
“Oh, really?” Gloria teases.
Barbie nods with determination. There's a brief moment of just them staring at each other, Barbie grinning from ear to ear, and Gloria feeling her heart race.
"I want… I want to be with you." Barbie says, coming closer to Gloria, the height difference is kind of intimidating, but it makes Gloria feel even more nervous. “Not with those girls… and those guys, especially those guys,” Barbie says with a huff, thinking about the men she had gone on dates with.
Gloria stares, and she feels like her heart is about to pop out of her chest when Barbie’s looking at her like that, eyes sparkling, and Barbie’s nervously fixing her hair.
Gloria's heart pounds in her chest as Barbie looks at her so intensely, her eyes sparkling with hope and vulnerability. "So, uh... do you want to be like... be... with me?" Barbie finishes with a nervous smile, waiting anxiously for Gloria's response.
Gloria bursts into laughter, momentarily startling Barbie. She quickly thinks of running away in the middle of the night, living on the street, or even returning to Barbieland and pretending to be in love with Ken. But before she can formulate a response, Gloria's finger traces against Barbie's jaw, and a wide, genuine smile spreads across her face. Barbie laughs softly, holding Gloria's hands as they explore her jawline.
"Yes, Barbie. I want to be your girlfriend," Gloria answers with a joyful laugh. She pulls Barbie down to her level and kisses her on her soft lips. Barbie responds eagerly, wrapping her arms around Gloria's waist and pressing her gently against the kitchen counter. In the midst of their passionate embrace, some of Gloria's sketches fly off the table due to Barbie's kisses on her neck, causing Gloria to let out a small moan.
The noise surprises both of them, or more so, three of them when Sasha gasps loudly, pulling both of them apart.
"Oh, my god. Mom!" Sasha exclaims, catching them off guard. Barbie and Gloria awkwardly stand there, trying to find the right words to say, with Barbie wiping her forehead nervously and Gloria waving her arms but failing to form coherent sentences.
“We — we, I… uhm, Honey, we’re just —“ Sasha shrieks, She holds her hand up, causing Gloria to stop speaking, and nods.
Sasha glares at Barbie, "I can't believe it! Well, I can! But like this?? We could've saved all those other dates you've had if you could have just told me you want to date my mom!" She raises her hands in exasperation, about to say something else, but Sasha groans again.
“I should’ve known! I mean seriously, I’m just… I’m never going to get water at night, ever. Again.” Sasha says before she turns around and immediately heads to her room.
Sasha never really did leave her room at night to get water.