Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Julie yawned and checked the clock.
Two more hours to go.

A sigh escaped from her lips as she used her trusted washcloth to wipe down the table another customer had just left.

She scrubbed at one of the stubborn rings left on the oiled wood by one of the glasses, questioning her decision to keep the bar open this long.
No one would walk in here at three in the morning during the week anyway, right?

She suppressed another yawn and finished up the table. Behind the counter, the dishwasher noisily reminded her that another round of glasses had just been cleaned.
The washcloth still in hand, she fanned away the plumes of hot steam escaping from the machine in a poor attempt to cool it down faster.
Once she could finally see again, the sound of a bell ringing drew her attention to the bar‘s entrance.
A customer stepped in, seemingly undeterred by the late hour.

Julie stepped away from the still-steaming dishwasher and leaned against the bartop, ready to give the newcomer her usual unassuming yet friendly greeting.

A woman walked in, someone she had actually seen before.

It was the very same woman that came in a few days ago, during the odd hours of the morning, when no one else would step foot outside their home, let alone into a bar. It was only another instance in her string of visits to the bar across the past weeks-
Had it been months?

Overall, it could be said that she was a regular. Every time, she ordered a simple yet classy drink and slumped onto her barstool, nursing her filled glass until Julie started to close up for the night.
They never really exchanged more words than what was necessary, the woman seemed pretty occupied by her own thoughts.

Julie waited by the counter as the woman came closer. The latter eventually settled down on a stool, putting her tiny purse on the chair beside her.

A bucket hat rested on her ducked head, making it impossible for the bartender to catch a glimpse of her face. It wasn't as if she'd ever managed to do so; the woman always wore some kind of hat and avoided her eyes like the plague. Nevertheless, from the mere glimpses of her side profile stolen whenever the woman stood up, Julie could tell she was pretty young.

Maybe about her own age?

And a woman that age frequenting her bar, always at the same, late hour, was something unusual…
Not the most surprising thing that ever happened to Julie, but definitely peculiar.

Enough to arouse her curiosity.

“Good evening. What can I bring you this time?” the bartender tried to keep curiosity out of her voice.

Waiting for the woman's answer, she suddenly didn't feel the exhaustion of the night anymore.

“I don’t really care tonight“
The woman answered Julie’s question in a tired voice.
She seemed particularly down today.
Julie frowned.

Instances like this happened, ones where the decision was up to her, ones where she had to be the one to choose someone’s poison.
Giving those in a tough spot something nonalcoholic usually ended up in the customer being even more disgruntled, so one had to go carefully about it.
Julie sighed as she opened her cabinet.

The two shot glasses clinked as she placed them down on the wooden counter.
The mysterious woman looked up in surprise, and for a second Julie caught a glimpse of her eyes. As soon as the woman looked away again, she couldn’t help but crave her gaze on her once more. She felt like that short second wasn’t merely enough to see what those deep pools had to offer, what treasure they hid.

“What’s this?“
Her late-night visitor asked, pointing at the small shot glasses Julie was filling with a light liquid.
“My mom’s self made liquor.“
Julie mumbled as she finished filling up one of the glasses and slid it over to the woman.
“And,“ she hovered the bottle over the second glass, “an offer. To listen.“
She raised it and looked at the customer, waiting to see if she would get a glimpse of those eyes again.

There were a few seconds of silence as the woman eyed the drink.
Then, she raised the glass to her nose and took a wary sniff.
Julie felt a jolt of electricity go through her when those intense eyes focused on her again.
“It’s sweet.“

Julie shrugged, giving the woman a careful smile.
“I can enjoy something sweet every once in a while.“
The longer the woman stared at her, the more Julie could take in her appearance for the first time. Her gaze made something warm crawl up the back of her neck. Eyes dark, almost black, yet they still stood out even in the dim light. Her coat was of an unassuming color, yet it still looked high-quality, its collar pulled up high to shield the woman’s face.
Yet, after a bit of apprehension, she seemed to let down her guard a bit. Her shoulders relaxed, and her eyes lost some of that sharp edge, even if they were still fixed on the bartender.
She tapped her glass against Julie’s, breaking her out of her stupor.

The small, bright noise echoed loudly in the empty bar.
“Well, to something sweet, then.“

For the first time, Julie could hear something other than tiredness and strain in her voice.
Amusement.
She gave the woman a small grin and lifted her drink to her lips, letting the liquor wash over her tongue, awakening her taste buds.
Her smile widened as she watched the woman’s face twist into a tight grimace, the full force of the sugary concoction hitting her.

No matter how many times she tasted it, the drink‘s overwhelming sweetness still made a shiver run down Julie’s back.

“What the heck is that?“
The woman wheezed out, and Julie chuckled.
This was exactly why this drink was perfectly suited for this occasion: No one could sulk when they just tasted the sweetest thing in the world.

She tilted her head.
“Do you not like it?“
The woman pushed the glass away from herself, sticking out her tongue in an attempt to get rid of the overwhelmingly sweet taste.
Julie had to laugh.
“I can practically feel my teeth rot.“
The woman whined, and it was surprisingly adorable.

Julie couldn’t help but laugh harder, until she was slapping the bartop.
So much for intimidating.

The woman shot her a glare that was definitely meant to be intimidating, but it just ended up reminding Julie of those cat videos. The ones where they get a post-it stuck to their feet and desperately try to shake it off.
The bartender finally managed to stay calm without bursting into laughter every other second, and only gave the now pouting woman a big grin.

“I can’t believe you would do that to a trusting customer.”
Julie chuckled as she filled another glass with water.
“But it distracted you though, didn’t it?“
She slid it over.

“Distracted me from what?“
She raised a questioning eyebrow at Julie.
“From whatever makes you come here like a walking funeral every other night.“
Julie’s tone was careful as she watched the woman’s reaction.

“Oh.“
The latter rolled her shot glass between her palms thoughtfully.
“So it was noticeable?“

Julie hummed.
“Well, it was to me. I tend to notice things when someone comes here regularly.“
“I see.“

There was an ebb of silence, so long that the bartender questioned if she overstepped any boundaries.
The woman looked deep in thought but not angry at her, at least.
Julie was about to take a step back when she sighed and, without much preamble, pulled off her hat.

Long, black hair cascaded down her back, short bangs now framing the expectant eyes still looking at Julie.

Although her full appearance didn’t ring a bell to the bartender at first, the more Julie observed her, the more she looked familiar.
Something nipped at the back of her head annoyingly, but she couldn’t quite figure it out.
So, she ended up just frowning at the woman, who eventually shook her head while smiling, and pointed up.

Huh?
Julie followed her finger with her gaze and- oh.
The speaker.

She liked to have some calm music playing while she served the rare late-night guests. There was a soft RnB melody filling the air around them, and the woman was pointing right at the speaker it came from.
Julie recognized it as a newer song by one of those idols she could never really keep up with.

But this particular artist was so big recently, that even she has heard of her. It was something N, Nana? Na-
“Natty.“
Julie blinked at the woman who just said the name dryly. It took her a moment to understand, but when realization hit, she was glad she wasn’t holding a glass she could drop.
“That-, is that you?“

Her customer, Natty, nodded before she raised her glass to her lips once more.
“Bingo.“

Julie stood still for a moment, kind of in shock.
At a loss for words, she poured herself another glass of her sugary concoction and downed it in one gulp.
Grimacing, she asked,
“So what brings you here, Natty-ssi?“
She forced her voice to remain calm as she addressed the celebrity.

The woman groaned out, seemingly in frustration.
“Not you too! Please!“
Julie stopped her polishing of a glass and looked at her in surprise.

“Sorry, I don’t mean like that, just“
Natty sighed again, her hand running across her face and catching the bartender’s attention once again.
For some reason, the fact that the pretty face of an idol wasn’t smudged or wiped away at the gesture seemed unreal.
As though she was just that beautiful.

“You know, I did come here for fame and glamour.“ Natty gestured wildly with her hand. Indeed, Julie had caught glimpses of various newspapers mentioning that the soloist came from a different country in order to pursue her dreams in Korea.
“But it has come to a point where I think that won’t be enough. I’ve been craving some real, human connection.“

Julie just nodded, not wanting to interrupt the rant that was so clearly needed. She felt that it was a good opportunity for Natty to finally get things off her chest instead of just sulking around and nursing a drink.

“You know, I usually have this bright demeanor that everyone adores. But, sometimes, I just really need to get away from everything. This bar is the only place I have ever let myself be like that:
Tired.
I don’t want to sound ungrateful, or like I’m regretting all the hard work I put into where I am now, but.“

The woman rested her head in her hand, suddenly looking so small.

“It’s just a lot. And sometimes, a simple rough patch can make you question everything you’ve wanted so badly.“

The intense aura Natty had been giving off ever since she revealed her true identity slightly flickered. Now she was nothing more than a shadow of herself, lonely and careful. Julie felt a sudden surge of sympathy.
She hesitated before deciding to reach out a reassuring hand to rest it on Natty’s arm.
Despite her knowledge of the other’s status, it was not in her character to let someone suffer alone.

Natty looked up and met her eyes. For a second, mutual understanding sparked between them, and Julie could feel warmth slowly creep up her back.

“You’re only human. An intense job like yours is bound to bring the highest of highs and the lowest of lows with it.”
She pulled back her hand and cocked her head, her gaze still hanging onto Natty’s.
“You need to remember that there are a bunch of people that appreciate your art. It’s something no one can take from you. And you already know what you want! To find a person that will appreciate you for who you are.“

Natty stared blankly for a moment.
“Well, how do I find people like that?“
Her voice was quiet, almost tentative in the late night.

Julie forced her smile to stay on her face as she pushed herself off the bar. Making friends was not really something she was an expert in.
“That’s something I would love to hear from you, once you find out.“

“Oh,“ the woman sitting at the bar chuckled, “so I’m not the only one who feels alone.“
Julie grunted as she started carefully unloading the dishwasher.
“I don’t know if I would use the word ‘alone‘. I’m around people everyday, not just at work.“
She wiped off a glass with a fresh dishcloth and placed it on the shelf behind her.
“But ‘lonely‘ still feels fitting, somehow.“

“Maybe you have to give them a glimpse at a part of yourself before you can start to feel really close. That’s what a friend once told me.”

Julie gave the woman a skeptical look. “That sounds scary.”

Natty giggled. Something about this simple tingle of joy in this dim bar made the bartender stop for a second..
It sounded light, not at all burdened by the worries that seemingly dragged her down everyday. It sounded like the Natty Julie had heard about before in fleeting conversations: friendly, always positive, and with an aura that wouldn’t leave you anything but happy. She always kept her bright grin for the cameras, the passion in everything she did.
And yet, even though Julie knew of her struggles, her laugh didn’t feel fake. Not overused, not like she was using it as a last ditch effort to keep up appearances.
Instead it just felt like a flicker of her usual happiness shining through.

“I agree.” The celebrity’s voice pulled Julie out of her sudden thought. “But maybe it’s not as scary as you think. You just need to be brave enough to start.”
Julie couldn’t help but still feel doubtful. But Natty’s curious gaze made her want to humour her. It was nice to see her so alive, instead of the usual view of her sagged onto the table in some corner of the bar.

She remembered a drink the celebrity frequently ordered. Deciding to give this whole thing a try, she pulled out a whiskey glass and put in one big ice cube, swirling it around to let it acclimate.
“It sounds like you’re trying to get me to talk.”

Natty watched the glass twirled around by the bartender’s hand , a hint of fog now coating its inside.
“If I get you to talk, it means I don’t have to share first.”
Okay, so normal Natty was a jokester, Julie was starting to see.

A sigh escaped from her lips as she poured a good bit of whiskey into the glass, the ice cube bobbing in the liquid with every movement.
She then firmly put the glass on the bartop with a hollow clonk.

“Fine. You only get to take a sip, if you share something first.”

She watched as the grin on Natty’s lips grew wider, her eyes flickering from the glass to Julie’s face.
Maybe this night would turn out to not be as boring and comatose as the barkeeper first thought.
“You’re not going to start, are you?”
Natty just kept smiling and shook her head. Julie sighed.

“The least you could do is give me your name.” Natty’s voice was whiny in a way that made it hard for Julie to keep her serious demeanor. Without another word, she reached out and took the glass. She raised it to her lips, all the while keeping her gaze locked on Natty.
The liquor touched her lips, spread over her tongue, but for some reason the burn of alcohol in her throat didn’t make her feel any warmer inside than the other woman’s gaze already did.

She had to look away.
“I’m Julie. And this is my bar.”
She continued to avoid Natty’s eyes as she put the glass back down and slid it towards her.
A sigh sounded out from across the bar. Julie only raised her head when she saw the glass being picked up by a delicate hand.

“Sometimes I wish I wasn’t famous.”
Oh, so she was being really honest. Julie bit her lip as she received the drink back.
“I’ve never kept a friendship for more than two years.”
Julie tilted her head back and let the sour taste flood her senses. She could feel something in herself open, bit by bit.
She was scared of it. If she opened up herself , so would the floodgates, and she would end up bawling in front of this A-list celebrity.

But somehow, admitting what she believed to be her fears felt freeing too.
She hesitated before handing back the glass.
“What would you be doing if you weren’t famous?” She dared to challenge the dynamic.
Natty took the glass as she raised an eyebrow at her question, as if to ask if there had been a change of rules. Still, she answered.
“I just wouldn’t give a fuck about the trivial things.”
The singer cocked her head back as she took what was more of a gulp of the whiskey.
Julie was about to complain about the short answer when she put the glass back down, face pulled into a tight grimace by the taste, and continued.
“Have the most ordinary movie night, get drunk and do stupid shit, or ask out whoever I like. Everything!”
It was fun to hear the celebrity curse so much, Julie had to admit.
She pointedly ignored the urge to ask Natty who she would ask out or if she had someone in mind. It was weird, Julie had never been one for gossip.

Her glass was nearly empty, remnants of the ice cube floating in the remaining liquid.
Julie drained it, praying she wouldn’t wake up with a headache the next morning- although that would be worth it for this otherworldly conversation the late night had turned into.

“I’m like…the opposite, kind of.”
She rolled the glass in between her hands and watched how the last drips of thick liquid pooled at the bottom.
“I could do all of that. But I have always been scared of going after what I want. I have always let what other people say dictate how I live. Taking over this bar was the first time I did something for myself.”
Deciding that that was enough alcohol for the day (night…morning?), Julie discarded the empty glass in the sink before she turned around to lock off the liquor cabinet.

When she faced the counter again, Natty was looking at her intensely, her eyes devoid of the mischief they held prior.
“What are some of the things you want to go for?”

Julie sighed as she began doing parts of her usual lock-up routine.
“It’s the trivial things. Not texting the one person I could call a friend to ask if she wants to hang out because I fear it could drive her away,” she took out her device for card payment and printed out the day report, “taking up dance classes, because I think I’m too old for it…”
She locked up the device together with the cash register and looked up at Natty.
“Things like that.”

The singer watched her with her head tilted, as if she was trying to figure out a riddle.
“Interesting.”
Julie returned to stand across from her and braced her hands on the bar.
Natty continued, “So what’s stopping you is actually yourself.”
Julie snorted.
“Well yeah, and what’s stopping you is something you put on yourself.”
“Fair.”

Julie was about to start looking for the best way to ask the woman to leave, when Natty started speaking again.
“Maybe we should switch. You can go to my company building and do a few of my dance classes, and I’ll have my movie sleepover with your friend.”
That sounded so ridiculous that it made Julie burst out laughing, but when she looked at Natty again, there was a smile on her face that, for some reason, made her look like she might not have been completely joking.

“Honestly, at that point we might as well do both together.” Julie decided to play along, even though she couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes.
“Now, why doesn’t that sound too bad?” Natty still had her eyes fixed on her, nose scrunching again as her smile widened. At this point Julie really couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not. Her eyes followed as Natty slowly grabbed her hat to put it back on her head.
The singer standing up from her seat pulled Julie out of the weird stupor she was stuck in since the woman’s last comment. She couldn’t have been seriously considering Natty’s statement…could she?
She quickly pulled out her washcloth to wipe down the bar again before any of her sticky liquor could dry into the worn wood.

Natty started pulling on a black scarf, her eyes carefully following Julie’s movements, no matter how trivial her task may be. What a confusing woman.

“What do I owe you, Julie?”
Julie stopped her wiping. The woman just said her name for the first time, and for some reason that alone made her completely lose her focus again. Natty was fluent, but for some reason her voice had retained a foreign lilt when saying her name. Julie wanted to hear it again.

“Uh-, you’re fine. I practically forced those drinks on you anyways.”
Natty smiled at her, it was genuine this time. “Thanks.”
Julie returned it even if she felt suddenly shy. Was it a result of the tiredness? In any case, closing up now was a good choice.

“Oh, and Julie?”
There it was again. Julie looked up and saw Natty by the exit, the door already propped open. Wind was blowing in from the cold outside, picking up strands of Natty’s hair in its breeze.
“I’ll be pretty busy starting tomorrow, so don’t be worried if you don't see me here for a while.”

The door closed and Julie was left standing in her bar, in the night.
What an interesting woman.

Chapter Text

Natty’s words rang true, Julie hadn't caught sight of her for a while.
A few weeks after their interesting encounter during the night, she caught sight of a headline when walking past the newspaper stand at a small shop in the city.

“Highly anticipated new feature by famous director casts Natty in lead role!”

Her bag of groceries was already digging into her shoulder, yet she still couldn’t help but stop to read.
It was nice to see the other woman doing well for herself.
She grinned and took a moment to scan the article.

“In this upcoming period piece by director Park Chanwook, Natty is to play a handmaiden that is hired to trick a rich Japanese princess. Instead of that happening, the two women fall in love, which drives the handmaiden right into the conflict. The project has been in the talks for years and is finally beginning its production.”

Huh.
What an interesting prospect.
Anything involving lesbians proved to be controversial, even in this day and age, but Julie was certain that if someone could keep her head high during the public's back and forth, it would be Natty.
She hadn’t even seen her in ‘celebrity mode’ yet, but the sheer presence she gave off made her come off as untouchable.

As Julie’s arm slowly started to feel numb, she quickly hiked the tote bag up her shoulder.
Casting one last glance at the paper, she finally turned away and resigned herself to resume her route, making a mental note to watch the movie whenever it came out.

Julie suppressed a sigh as she popped a spring into her cocktail shaker before starting to rock it back and forth.
So boring.
Her eyes scanned the event hall her counter had its place in.
She never would have thought that she would find herself in a fashion show, of all things.
Around her small oasis of calmness, everyone was hustling around, preparing everything for the start of the show.
The bartender was lucky that she ended up in the main hall and not the small one somewhere else in the venue, from which she could hear loud, thumping music from.
It might be busy here as well, but at least she didn’t have to take any extra precautions to protect her eardrums.

Still shaking her cobbler, she watched the passing figures: Models from all over the fashion spectrum, business men and women striding along like they owned the place, and a film team stumbling over their own cables.
Julie suppressed an amused snort when she watched them bump into each other in panic, their equipment all entangled.

Normally she would be glad to catch glimpses of new fashion trends, but today, most of the outfits just seemed…straight up boring.
She was still waiting for that hit of the night, that one designer arriving with their entourage to steal everyone’s breath with the complexity of their outfits.

The sloshing in her cup got quieter and Julie popped it open.
She was never really one to put egg whites of all things into her drink, but they did make amazing foam.
She slowly poured the cocktail into a tall glass, the whipped egg rising above the rim.
The customer that had watched her work with apt attention clapped as she finally garnished the drink and placed it in front of him.

Fine, maybe the experimentation aspect was bigger here than in her bar, she thought as she nodded at the happy customer walking off with his drink.
But she missed the familiarity of her own place.

There was just so much hassle here, chattering between celebrities, and assistants running around with sketches they had to deliver at the last minute…
It was an illustration of the stress Julie had tried to escape by choosing to buy her own establishment in the first place.

But alas, she promised to help out her (pretty much one and only) friend Belle, when her caterer and bartender canceled on her at the last second.
In an attempt to grow a little closer to her, and much to Belle's relief, Julie had offered her help.
So now she was tasked with entertaining snobs with flair bartending moves and drinks that she luckily didn’t have to provide the ingredients for.
Together with a salary bigger than what she normally would have earned in a week, this afternoon wasn’t too bad.

Julie had insisted that she didn’t need any bonus for stepping in as bartender, but Belle was adamant that she should be getting one.
She really was a good friend, Julie had to admit, still trying to keep the fondness for the quirky blonde from taking over her heart.

The two of them had met at a seminar that Julie had begrudgingly signed up for when she got a newsletter promising a certificate of participation, which could be helpful for booking future events.
It would be stupid to never work on qualifications once self-employed. One could never know what might happen.

Julie had arrived at the seminar with quite low expectations and sat next to a young woman who soon introduced herself as Belle, a freshly-trained event-manager.
She had immediately taken a liking to Julie and managed to make the following two days everything but torturous with her fun chatter and warm presence.

Julie was glad she had stayed in touch, because Belle ended up becoming one of her closest friends, during just the last year and a half.

The other woman was funny, full of passion for everything she did, and just a tiny bit naive to the point that Julie had started feeling somewhat protective of her.
The two sometimes went out for coffee, or Belle would come to the bar and just sit and talk about her day while Julie did her paperwork.

The bartender‘s heart always felt like it was growing in size when she could tell that the blonde too, was making an effort to get to know her.
That this friendship wasn’t one-sided, that they were equally putting in effort.
It felt good having someone to rely on.
Just how Belle was able to rely on her with this.

Julie’s musing about her companionship eventually led her back to a specific conversation she had had about the topic recently.
And a particular late-night customer.
She usually tried not to think about the weird connection she had formed with Natty that night. How there had been equal parts of sharing from both sides, how the sharing had felt almost measured, balanced.
She always found herself sinking too deep into her thoughts about the celebrity, thinking about that intense gaze so much that she was scared it was going to follow her into her dreams.

Julie shook her head to pull herself from settling into the comfortable, yet strange feeling that had surrounded them that night. It almost seemed to haunt her, as if something in her yearned to feel it again.

Blinking, she realized that she had ended up zoning out for a bit and just stared at another pulk of people entering through the front doors slowly disperse.
Her fear of being distracted turned out to be true, when the sound of someone clearing their throat made her look up.
Someone was sitting across from her.
Just when she had been able to banish them from her mind, they appeared again, this time for real.
Those eyes.

“You need to work on your facial expressions. One might think you are bored or something.“

Natty was sitting on one of the modernly designed barstools and mustered her with amusement.
She seemed to have been there for a minute or two, already settled into her chair and everything.
Julie must have really been out out.

Her mouth opened and closed for a second, as she was too stunned to speak. She wasn’t imagining the woman sitting there, was she?
“Uh, hi?” Julie wanted to grab the dishcloth she usually kept on her shoulder to hold onto something, but due to the strict dress code, she had to keep it out of view.
Shit.

“Good evening, Julie. It’s quite a surprise seeing you here.”
Natty’s voice was slowly becoming familiar, soothing her in the process.
The idol sent Julie a smile she could tell was genuine.
The soft upturn of her lips stood in funny contrast to the rest of her appearance this evening.

Julie had only really experienced Natty in casual wear, but this…
Wow.

The stylists seemed to have fully leaned into her “Black Swan”-persona and dressed her in tresses of dark fabric. A flowy black dress, paired with a thick fur coat that made Natty look even more elegant.
It was as if she stepped out of a black and white film.

Julie finally noticed that more people in similar styling had entered the hall and mingled with the other models.
The designer Natty was a brand-ambassador for must have entered the event.

Before she could really speak, Julie had to take a moment to take in the sheer presence of Natty in all her glory, in her element.
Because to be honest, she felt like she had been run over by a bus.
Confidence seemed to emanate from her, bathing her in an aura that seemed intimidating to invade.
Of course she was still the same woman as before, but the attitude switch was definitely noticeable.

“I didn’t know you would be here.”
Julie went for a casual but friendly tone, not quite as warm as it had managed to get during their last conversation, but still something close to it.

“So it’s unexpected for both of us.“
A waft of perfume floated over to where Julie stood when the dark-haired woman shifted. It only helped her really come back to her senses.

She reached under the bar to search for the one bottle of Whisky she was provided with. It wasn’t the usual brand she would give Natty at her bar, but it would do the trick.
“You’ve been busy.“
She got out a glass as well.

Natty raised an eyebrow as she watched Julie pour her a finger, a slight quirk in her lips.
“As I’ve told you.“
The bartender couldn’t suppress a smile when she thought of their last conversation.

“Somehow I didn’t really expect you to not show up at all!“
The familiarity to the idol slowly started setting in, and she found herself wanting to joke around, to tease, and gave her a small pout.
It made the other woman snort out loud, drawing a few surprised glances their way.
“Closing up at night has gotten so lonely. It’s boring.“

Natty’s eyes landed on hers, a mischievous glint in them. She reached over for the Whiskey glass, dropping her next sentence as if it was something small, insignificant.
As if the words she was about to say wouldn’t cause a sudden swoop in Julie’s stomach.
“Good to know that you don’t have someone else to spend your lonely nights with, Julie.“

A trail of condensation remained on the counter as Natty slid the glass to herself- the only thing Julie could stare at to try escaping from her hot gaze.

What did she even mean by that??

While Julie was still trying to grasp the meaning of her words, the other woman lifted the drink to her lips, looking thoroughly amused at having flustered her.

The way Natty talked, the way she picked her sentences out carefully, but still ended up throwing Julie off her guarded demeanor like it was nothing…
It was refreshing, to say the least.
Thrilling, to say more.

Julie caught herself wanting to play along with her daring statements and let loose a bit.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, some tension finally leaving her shoulders.

She chose to not really acknowledge Natty’s last comment.
Not verbally, at least.
Instead she just gave her a smile.
A smile small and wistful, like she felt no need to correct the idol.
Julie smiled at her, pushed herself off the counter to put back the whisky without another word.

Natty looked a little startled at the simple acknowledgement, almost as if Julie taking her words in stride was more significant than any outwardly flirty reply could have been.
She pursed her lips and looked down at her drink.

Julie watched the change in demeanor, surprised that her words, or lack thereof, affected the other woman as well.
Choosing to move on, she decided to address something that had been on her mind recently. Something that was now pushing to the forefront of her thoughts.
It was almost as if she had waited all these weeks to tell her, eagerly wanting to share more ever since the other woman stepped into her life.
“I took up dance classes again.“

Natty looked up in surprise, her eyes shining with undeniable interest. Julie paused at her curiosity.

Did she actually care?

“‘Again’? Last time it sounded like you have never danced before at all!”
There was a hint of accusation in Natty’s voice, as if she was scolding Julie for having left out details in their first actual conversation.
The bartender barked out a laugh before leaning onto the counter. Since no one else was waiting at the bar, she could afford to get a little comfortable.
Resting her chin on her hand brought her to a similar level as Natty, but Julie pretended not to care.
“I actually used to be a ballet kid,” she whispered to the celebrity, as if she was admitting a secret.

In a way she was.
She had never really gotten to the “sharing childhood-stories”-stage of friendship.

Natty’s eyes sparkled, as if Julie had told her what was hiding inside Area 51, not just a little tidbit about her past. It was hard not to get caught in her enthusiasm.
“Ballet? That’s so different from what you do now!”

Julie could feel her face splitting into a grin.
Natty leaned closer with almost childlike excitement.
It was incredibly endearing, she had to admit.
“Is it really that surprising? I feel like I’m so uptight all the time, doesn’t it fit?”
Julie thought back to Belle sorting through her closet back at home, concluding that a rack full of neat white shirts didn’t qualify for leisure wear, whatever that meant.

“What?” Natty shook her head in disbelief. “You’re not that bad! You wouldn’t have that many regular customers if they didn’t feel like they could confide in you!”
Julie watched the idol swirl her whiskey before raising it to her lips. Only then did she notice how close they had gotten, heads stuck together over the counter in their own little world.
She liked it.

“You’re actually really easy to talk to, once you cross that initial border.”
Natty kept on musing, her eyes flitting over Julie’s face.
“I bet you’d be unstoppable if you were more confident. It would actually kill people.”

Julie was stunned. Not just by Natty’s words, but also by the conviction within her gaze. It seemed like she was completely sure of the truth of her words.
Like Natty had taken a specific interest in her.
But, why?

Maybe because this was the first genuine, non-fabricated connection she had made in a long time.
Because if that was the case, Julie certainly felt the same.

“Well, maybe you can give me some tips!“
She straightened up and looked down at the idol expectantly.
“How do I become more confident?“

Natty looked up, blinking at the sudden change in demeanor. Then, she smiled.
“Most of it is just acting it, really. And after a while, you notice it affecting how you act when you’re not forcing it.“

She sat up in her seat, backing out of the intimate conversation, to instead take in her surroundings calmly. Like Julie, she straightened her back.
“You’re already doing a great job! Don’t be afraid to take up space. Act like you’re entitled to it!“

Julie tried to imagine how she would even do that.
“Only to a certain degree, of course.“
Natty chuckled, sensing her internal struggle.
“Just act, you know, comfortable.“

Julie hummed and tried letting the words settle in her body.
Comfortable.
How did one act comfortable?
She thought back to her bar. How she knew exactly where everything was, knew how to navigate the space blindly.
She could feel some parts of her relax immediately.
She let her eyes roam around the room. Seeing the hassle of the people around her weirdly made her relax even more.
They were all running around, like ants scrambling to gather enough food to get by.

But she was here, in her safe space. Behind her counter, in her territory.
Here she felt steady.
It was similar enough that she could feel transported back to her bar.
There were no reasons to worry, this was her turf.
And Natty was a visitor, once more.
Just like in those early mornings she found herself missing.

Her eyes fell back to the woman across from her.
Natty was resting her chin in her hand, an almost triumphant smirk on her lips.
“See, I feel like you already got it.“

Someone stepped up to the bar a meter away and Julie walked over to them, quirking an eyebrow at Natty over the shoulder.
She took the order and came back, starting to scoop some ice into her cup.
“Well yeah, but I’m only talking to you.“

This made Natty laugh out loud, having to set her drink down so as to not spill anything.
Julie continued, “I’m talking more about coming to a new place, full of new people! And finding your place there.“

Natty’s laugh faltered off into a giggle, her eyes following each of Julie’s movements.
“You know, many people might say that talking to me is pretty intimidating.“
Julie let out an audible tsk and pulled out a spoon.
“So maybe the fact that I am the person making you feel comfortable here is more telling than you realize.“

Julie, who had begun stirring the drink, paused and tilted her head, kind of at a loss for words.

Natty nodded her head to the side, indicating that her other customer was watching them with interest.

“You know, I should probably act like I don't know you. Being familiar with a bartender might not be a good look for someone who is supposed to be perfect.“
Her words startled Julie. For just a few minutes she had forgotten all about Natty’s status. About the image she had to uphold.
She pursed her lips.
“And yet you are here.”

It was something she had been trying to figure out. The reason why Natty kept gravitating towards her.
But the celebrity just kept smiling at her.

“I have been feeling a bit rebellious recently.“
She held Julie’s gaze, pretty much trapping her in it.
The bartender felt like she couldn’t move away from her, or maybe she didn’t want to.
Perhaps she just wanted to stay right there, in Natty’s magnetic field.

The tension eventually broke when the idol finally drained her glass and placed it back on the counter, its soft clink pulling them both out of the spontaneous staring contest.
She then stood up from her stool, carefully balancing as to not damage her tight dress or slip.
She nodded at Julie, who concluded their conversation was over.
She watched Natty leave, her sure strides carrying her through the sea of people. They parted for her like she was untouchable.

Still in thoughts, Julie’s eyes drifted back to the glass in her hand.
Shit, the ice wasn’t supposed to melt too much, it would water down the drink!
She scrambled to finish it for the man still patiently waiting a few metres away.

Chapter Text

The night went on relatively uneventfully.
Julie mixed her drinks, poured out liquor, and refused tips from sleazy men while gladly taking them from women whose eyes seemed to stay on her longer than necessary.
Maybe Natty was right, and she should work on her confidence, even if it was only to embrace the obvious attention she received from pretty ladies.
It definitely boosted her ego, but it didn’t make her feel as brave as talking to a certain someone did.

She served another customer, letting her gaze wander around the room.

Apparently, the first stage of the show had just ended.

As she watched the hall slowly fill up with people once again, she could already see the early break rush of thirsty attendees about to storm the bar.
Sighing, she prepared herself for the worst.

Soon enough, the rush ebbed off into nothing.
Julie once more let her eyes roam around the room until a dark figure at the side of the hall caught her attention.
The highs and lows of this event required more of her mental resilience than her usual work, and she found herself missing the easy company of the idol. Natty was currently talking to an older man, gesturing around while smiling calmly.
Even when Julie started preparing another order for one of the odd visitors, a fraction of her attention always remained fixed on her.
She was unable to tear away fully, even if she tried.

It happened when she was done with another drink and waved a happy customer goodbye.
The bartender closed up the ice trunk and wiped her wet hands on her apron, when her gaze inevitably drifted back to her.
And she saw it.

Natty’s jacket was kind of twisted behind her back, letting the inside fabric show.
It was not too big of a deal, few people would even notice it, but-
She was the celebrity ambassador of a highly respectable brand at one of the biggest fashion events in the country, things had to be perfect!

Julie’s eyes darted around the room. It was more empty than before, most of the attendees had already migrated to their seats in the other room.
No one would come to her counter at this moment, right?

She didn’t give herself much more time to think and rounded the corner of her little bar setup.
On her way over she made sure her shirt was tucked in neatly. Although Julie knew, nothing would be able to compare to the vision that was Natty, but that didn’t mean she wanted to come across as shabby.
The idol was still deep in her conversation with the man, not giving any sign of stopping soon.
But even if she did stop, Julie was afraid she was going to slip away into the next room before she could get a hold of her.

So, she strolled over with determination, thinking of the words of encouragement the idol had given her earlier.
Act like you’re comfortable, like you’re entitled to whatever you do.
Those were Julie’s last thoughts before her mind went blank.

She slid up to Natty’s side, leaning to her ear smoothly, giving the man she was talking to a polite nod. Natty’s perfume stinging in her nostrils gave her head the kickstart to get back to her senses.
Almost too sweet.
“Excuse me.”
Natty didn’t flinch.
The celebrity’s mask was so carefully crafted and under control, that no one would be able to spot the surprised lift of her hand and the slight goosebumps crawling up at the back of her neck.
Unless, of course, you were as close to her as Julie.
“Do you mind accompanying me for a second?”

Natty turned her head and met her eyes, the surprise within them immediately turning into realization as she recognized the bartender.
There was a second of silence, Natty’s conversational partner looking between them in confusion.
Natty still hadn’t said anything, so in an attempt to speed up her decision, Julie slipped her hand to her waist. Like it was the most natural thing, right?
Warm.
She could feel the lace fabric on Natty’s back, only a thin layer separating their skin.
The bottom of the fur coat brushed her thumb, feeling as light as a feather.
Julie’s breath hitched, eyes still trapped by Natty’s always so intense ones.

She didn't really plan to do such an action. Something about their earlier interactions had made her feel that putting her arm around Natty like that was a logical action to take, even if it was a bold one.
Now, she just had to hope that it didn’t bother her, that the idol actually wanted to come with her.
She would have let her know if she wasn’t okay with it, right?

Great, and now she also had to stop thinking about how warm Natty felt under her fingers.

The fact that this was probably the first time she had ever touched the idol popped up in Julie’s head, but she quickly brushed off the thought.

Finally, Natty’s eyes broke away from hers.
She lifted a reassuring hand to the man’s arm.
“I will be right back.” Her apologetic tone sounded studied, almost practiced.
She then shifted back into her natural position, indicating to Julie that she could start guiding them to a secluded corner of the room.

Away from the stranger, her actions slowly caught up with her. All that bravado with which she turned up and swept Natty off her feet…
Where did it go?
She felt the panic arise in her throat and, almost like it burned, pulled her hand away from Natty’s waist.
Each step was getting harder than the last, and Julie could only pray they’d be alone soon.
But would that make it any better? It’s not like she wasn’t nervous in the other woman’s presence otherwise. Unsure, but daring.
Natty just had this…air around her.

There must have been a reason why she was this famous, after all.
The way she pulled Julie in. Made her throw all caution to the wind.
It made her head spin.

Natty seemed to have noticed the absence of her touch on her waist, and she threw Julie a quick look.
The bartender tried giving her a reassuring smile, though she only managed a small quirk on her lips.

The two women reached a short hallway at the side of the room, filled with jackets belonging to the people working at the event. Julie remembered storing her coat here earlier.

As soon as they entered, Natty turned to look at her.
She didn’t look angry at all, but rather expectant? As if she was anticipating Julie’s excuse for bringing her here.
Of course, it would only make her feel more nervous.
Suddenly, her reasoning seemed stupid, even to her. Natty’s wardrobe malfunction didn’t really need her to come and pull her away from the crowd, all secretive like that. Who even was she? Just a bartender, not even her stylist or assistant that spotted a small problem that needed to be fixed

It was obvious to anyone but her that this was just an excuse to talk to her a bit more.

Julie could feel herself shrink under Natty’s gaze until, finally, the younger woman spoke.
“So, what’s up?“
Her tone was light. Surprised, but not suspicious. It helped soothe some of Julie’s worries and she could finally get a word out.

“Uhm, sorry for kidnapping you like that. You were probably having a really important conversation and, oh god, I’m so sorry for putting my hand there, I-“
“Julie.“
The bartender could do nothing but close her mouth, staring at Natty with big eyes. Was she angry?
She didn’t look like it, but what did Julie really know about her? Nothing apart from how great of an actress Natty was. She had to be good to be cast in that upcoming movie.
“Julie,“ she said again, and Julie’s focus immediately shifted to the way she said her name, the way her lips formed the two simple syllables. They continued, “You’re fine, really! But what made you come get me? Is there something going on?“

Julie forced her gaze to move from Natty’s mouth up to her eyes again and swallowed.
“I’m fine“
Her voice cracked at her first words.
“I happened to look over from the bar and saw that your coat seems to have ridden up a bit…
I didn’t want you to get into any trouble.“

Natty’s eyes twinkled in amusement.
“I never get into trouble.“
For some reason, Julie knew that was a lie.
The celebrity tilted her head, a warm smile dancing on her lips.
“You have a keen eye, Julie. Thank you, I probably wouldn’t have noticed until it was too late.“
Then she turned around, moving her hair to the side and exposing her covered back.
“would you mind fixing it for me?“

Julie nodded, but Natty couldn’t see that.
She moved closer, hesitantly raising her hand to the back of her coat.
With her heart still racing from her earlier panic, she lifted the fabric away from Natty’s back to untwist it.
Only to be met with bare skin.
Oh.
Only then did she realize that Natty’s dress was completely backless.
That’s fine.

She tore her eyes from the smooth-looking skin and focused on the task at hand.
The collar of the coat had rolled up with Natty’s movements throughout the evening, ending up tucked in between her back and the dense fur covering it.
Julie carefully tugged at it, but it had seemingly tangled up in itself. She reached for its edge, pinching it between her thumb and pointer finger, and-
The back of her hand brushed Natty’s bare skin.

Julie paused her movements, her hand hovering there, the tiny hairs on her fingers just barely sensing the closeness of the other woman. It felt strange. There was warmth, a buzzing feeling traveling through the tiny connection, up her arm, through her chest.
Natty slightly turned her head. Her body shifted away just a bit, thus breaking the connection between them.

The bartender’s eyes flickered up to see the idol observing her out of the corner of her eyes. Her gaze wasn’t burning this time, it felt warm.
Julie cleared her throat and tried to focus back on the jacket, unfurling and laying it straight so it wouldn’t bunch up again.
Her hand moved down the fur, smoothening it down until her fingers came to rest right where they were earlier.
On Natty’s waist.
Julie stared at them, wondering why they went there once more, as if it was natural.

“Was there any reason in particular that you were watching out for me?”
Her breath hitched for yet another time tonight. Natty’s words had been quiet, whispered right after Julie’s fingers stopped moving.
The bartender’s eyes stayed fixed on the lace patterns her thumb was unconsciously tracing the pattern of.
She was in a sort of trance, unable to pull away neither her hands nor gaze.

She could almost feel herself leaning closer, inhaling Natty’s perfume like she wanted to drown in it.
Almost too sweet.
Natty’s exposed shoulder got closer and closer, and thoughts she didn’t even know the meaning of flooded her head.
She wasn’t close enough to brush her lips over it yet, but she would if she didn’t stop.
Suddenly, Julie felt like that was the ultimate goal, the highest reward.
She wanted to taste that perfume.

What was Natty’s question again?

A loud crash tore her out of her dreamy state.
Julie’s head whipped to the entrance of the wardrobe, where the disturbance just came from.
She couldn’t see anything, but it did sound a lot like someone dropped something expensive.
A waiter probably stumbled and crashed a tray full of glasses or something.
Julie’s ears picked up some panicked murmur and apologetic whining from the bigger room. Maybe she should check on the situation.

Whoever did it had nothing to do with her and her bar setup, but it didn’t hurt to make sure that everything was fine.
The whole thing came as such a shock that it completely pulled her mind from what was happening.
When she turned back to a slightly pink-faced Natty, everything came crashing back down.
Her eyes grew wide when they met those of the other woman, remembering the position they were still in.

She was standing behind Natty, so close to her back that she could feel any little shift in the air, her hand remaining on Natty’s lower back. The younger woman had slightly turned her way to follow the loud noise too.
They were still so close that Julie could count all of her eyelashes if she wanted to.
That was, if she could think of anything other than their proximity, of how close she was earlier, of how she had wanted to lean in and-
Do what exactly??
Smell Natty’s neck? Touch it?
She must be going crazy.

Julie could feel blood rushing towards her cheek and stepped away from the idol.
She retracted her hand quickly, hoping that breaking the connection quickly would make it less painful.
Natty stood still all the while, seemingly flustered, watching her every move.
Had she been affected by their closeness as well?
Julie couldn’t imagine that the other woman had felt the same tension that she had. It just couldn’t be. Unconsciously, she flexed her hand in which she could still feel the phantom touch of Natty’s body like pins and needles.

“I should-”
Julie motioned behind her, praying her face didn’t look nearly as hot as it felt.
Then she bolted off, far away from the woman twisting her mind.

That particular encounter kept replaying in her mind days and weeks after the event, to the point that even Belle could tell that something was off.
“You look like you have seen a ghost!” She had said that night when she picked up Julie with her pink Mazda. At Julie’s silence, which wasn’t that unusual, she dropped the topic and just drove her home, always chattering.

The night after the fashion show, Julie was restless.
Tossing and turning in bed, she couldn’t get the smell of Natty’s perfume out of her mind.
It felt like her nose had been infused with the scent, and anytime she closed her eyes, she could feel the idol’s presence.
As if she was right there next to her.

As if she could simply reach out and touch her.
Let her fingers run along the skin of her back and-
She sat up quickly.
What the hell?
She needed to stop having those kinds of thoughts.
About a celebrity, someone she barely knew!

Natty was someone the whole world wanted. Who was she to imagine herself to be anything but a fleeting encounter to her?
Just because she felt this…connection, didn’t mean that it was anything real.
That it meant something to Natty too.

Julie’s heart didn’t stop beating loudly that night, insisting that Natty was the one to come up to her.
Natty was the one who kept talking and was excited about her past.

Julie grabbed her pillow and pressed it against her face, groaning loudly.
Eventually, she did fall asleep, exhaustion from the long workday finally wearing her out.

Unfortunately, that still didn’t stop the insistent pull she could feel towards the other woman, wherever she might be.

A week, and many sleepless nights later, Belle made the mistake of mentioning that big movie Natty was acting in. Julie had to pause and take a deep breath to prevent her from doing something to her friend that she’d regret.

Julie picked up her towel and wiped her face. She really shouldn’t underestimate how much of a workout her now regular dance classes really were. She could already feel a great improvement in stamina and overall body strength compared to when she started.

She could see Haneul coming her way and picked up the younger woman’s towel to toss it over, before sinking onto the bench beside Julie, a small grin on her lips.
Haneul gave one of her small chuckles before sinking down onto the bench beside Julie.

“You’ve been picking up stuff way quicker than the others. Ever thought about moving up a class?”

Haneul was something like an instructor’s assistant in Julie’s Hip Hop Dance for Beginners class. The bartender found herself appreciating the calm, yet attentive demeanor her new friend seemed to always approach things with. Haneul knew good advice specifically suited to whoever she was giving it to.
Julie could tell she was paying attention, even if she tried acting like she didn’t care about anything.

The two of them got along pretty well, as if they were on the same wavelength- apart from the fact that the younger of the two had had way more years to perfect the moves she was now executing flawlessly, while Julie was still there learning them, stumbling, trying to put the energy where it mattered.

“You could probably keep up with the class I’m taking on Wednesdays, I’m not even kidding!”
Despite her usual calmness, her words contained that specific youthful enthusiasm that Julie sometimes found herself missing in her life.
“I’m not sure…”

It was true, this current class did demand way too little from her. Now that she had gotten really into dancing through it, she could tell her body was able to handle more, almost like the moves were second nature to her. Maybe if she hadn’t given up on ballet she would’ve ended up becoming a great dancer?
Either way, in this world, Julie was still incredibly unsure, scared of taking chances.

“You gotta see opportunities and take them! Be selfish for once!”
She could almost hear the words in her head, in that slightly nasally but warm tone a certain idol had addressed her with more than a few times.
“I’ll consider it.” She told Haneul, hoping she would let the topic rest for the day.

The younger woman just snorted in response and got up, offering Julie a hand.
“Want to head out together?”
It was something the bartender found herself appreciating.
Haneul always knew when to stop prodding.

It was so different from most of the other friendships that came and went during her (admittedly few) adult years.
Haneul, as well as her other friend Belle had this sense of knowing her boundaries. Or recognizing when they reached them. It made her hope they would stay.

The two of them stood up and made their way to the exit, waving goodbye to their instructor as they passed by her.
Julie held open the door for Haneul and teasingly flicked her towel against her butt when she walked through.
Her friend squealed and started running down the stairs with the bartender following hot on her heels.
Julie laughed out loud. She loved letting her playful side show with the younger.
It made her feel like maybe her life wasn’t set in stone yet, like there was still time to start something new.

She burst through the front door, only to almost crash into Haneul.
“Why did you stop?“ She giggled, taking a second to catch up.
Only then did Julie notice the amount of people crowding the sidewalk, making it almost impossible to move outside more than a few steps.

“What’s going on?“ Haneul sounded confused, and Julie felt the sudden instinct to take over, to guide her to safety.
“Let’s just get to the other side, come on.“
She grabbed her hand and started threading through the crowd. Who were they all here for?

On their way, she started picking up some words from a few girls they pushed past.
“Did you hear that her Co-star got cast?“
“Yes, I saw! She’s so pretty, I don’t know if I want to be her, or be with her, though!

Julie’s head spun as she tried to figure out their situation.
It sounded like some celebrity was here, probably for an event or something.
Wait, it couldn’t be her, right?
“Oh!“ She looked back and caught Haneul’s wide eyes. “I think I know who this is about!“

Julie couldn’t reply as a sudden surge went through the crowd, almost making them lose their footing as people pushed into them.
She pulled Haneul even closer.
“Where even are we?“

The back of Julie’s knees hit a bench and she gestured for her friend to step up on it.
When she followed, Haneul immediately clutched onto her arm.
They had reached the other sidewalk.

From up there, Julie could see that an ocean of people had filled the street, the normally empty boardwalks now pretty much hidden.
Was there some kind of event?
And then she saw it.
About 15-20 meters away, a black car was parked at the curb, with people excitedly crowding around it.

A few men got out and started ushering them away, creating a free radius around the vehicle. It was like a trained, human wall was built to keep off the onlookers, some of them tiptoeing and stretching their necks to catch a glimpse of whoever was behind those tinted windows.
With organized precision, the security breached their borders to create a non-crowded pathway across the street.
There now was a free space leading all the way to the entrance of a big, fancy building on Julie and Haneul’s side of the street.

People had calmed down a little by now, silent in anticipation of whoever was about to step out.
Despite not knowing who it was, Julie found herself caught in their suspense. She could even feel Haneul hold her breath next to her.
The door opened for someone to take an offered hand by one of the security guys, screams rippling through the crowd like waves at their sheer appearance.
However, they never reached Julie’s ears. At least, not really.

Her heart’s beats were the only thing she could hear, racing to the point that she wasn’t even sure it would ever work normally again.
Her eyes were fixed on the newcomer, her breath caught in her throat.

Natty looked beautiful.

Julie was as still as a statue, standing next to Haneul who started whooping loudly when her earlier suspicions were proven to be correct.
“Woah! That’s Natty! Isn’t that crazy?”

It sure was.
Waving at the people going crazy for her, Natty was taking measured steps across the street, always with one or two security guys right behind her. She was even signing some albums and autographs, pulling down the black sunglasses on her nose slightly whenever she was talking to a fan. She seemed to be doing her best to give everyone a bit of her undivided attention, as difficult as it appeared to be.

During this whole thing, Julie’s eyes had not left her even once.
She didn’t think she could look away even if she wanted to. It was as if she had to write a protocol, the way she was almost studying her, taking note of every little thing Natty did, each small friendly gesture.
Or like she was studying something, an artwork.

Then, almost as if in slow motion, it happened.
It felt inevitable, as if the world was waiting for it to happen, ever since they both stepped onto the scene.
Like magnets as soon as they got closer, their gazes connected.
Clink
After that, it was impossible to let go.

Anyone else would have doubted that Natty was looking back at her, with the overwhelming barrage of people and the sunglasses obstructing her view.

But Julie just knew. She could feel the other woman looking at her, could feel that familiar warmth.
She could practically smell that perfume again.

She was, once more, trapped in Natty’s gaze.
Oh, how she’d missed it.

“Huh? Is she looking at us?”
Julie could barely hear Haneul’s incredulous voice and watched as Natty beckoned over a bodyguard, her eyes still locked on the bartender.
All of that, from Haneul’s question to the man talking to Natty, seemed to almost happen on another plane of existence.
Of course, Julie was aware of it, but she simply couldn’t realize it. Her eyes didn’t send the information to her brain for processing, the thoughts just kind of…traced off into nothing.
Probably got lost in between memories of deep conversations and soft fur upon silky skin.

The number of people had lessened a little around them, of course, they all were gravitating towards Natty.
But now, suddenly, the horde seemed to move towards Haneul and Julie. One big mob coming closer, enveloping them, until-
They somehow got pushed into the eye of the hurricane.
There was a radius of space around them that was free of people, the security from earlier holding them off with polite firmness.
Julie was still staring straight ahead, eyes now focused on a point way closer than before. On someone now only a meter away from the bench that became their lifeboat in this sea of people.

Natty was standing right there, in front of Julie.
It was a little hard to see with the sunglasses, but she looked happy.
Happy that they were seeing each other?

The thought brought a shy smile to Julie’s lips, as overly aware as she was of the many eyes on them.

The bartender stepped off the bench without hesitation. She couldn’t bear being that far away.
Natty’s face was closer now, and Julie could finally see through the dark tint hiding her beautiful eyes.
She had been right about her smiling.
Natty’s eyes were crinkling behind those thick shades, and Julie couldn’t help but beam back at her.

She opened her mouth to say something, probably something weird, probably something way too close to her heart that she would normally try to stop from spilling out, but she was stopped by the idol holding out her hand.
She was holding what looked to be a small note, a folded paper that was waiting to be forwarded to its recipient.
Julie swallowed down what felt like her heart beating in her throat and took it.

Their fingers brushed and she was suddenly overly aware of their closeness and the barricaded fans watching their every movement.
Breathing shakily, she opened it.

A string of numbers was scribbled on the note. Realizing what they were, Julie quickly pocketed the note before anyone else could see it.
She took a second to take it all in. Did Natty just give her her number?

She looked back at the idol in confusion, but the latter only gave her a bright grin and eyebrow wiggle.

Her eyes flit to the crowd around them, momentarily leaving Julie’s gaze.
Why wasn’t she saying anything? One of them needed to say something!
The bartender pulled herself together and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Why didn’t you just ask?“
It came out louder than she intended, and the idol‘s (and everyone else’s) eyes were soon back on her.
Julie tried to ignore the piercing stare of the idol’s bodyguard.

Pursing her lips, Natty leaned closer and murmured conspiratorially,
“But where would be the dramatic flair in that, Julie?“
The bartender huffed out, Natty was so confusing.
Of course she felt honored by the idol‘s attention, the way she was seeking her out.

It felt refreshing, there was a tiny hope that maybe Natty felt a similar attraction. If that was what you could call it, Julie wasn’t too sure yet.
She was scared to name whatever she was feeling for the woman.
But, something about this still unsettled her.

She lowered her voice in hopes that only Natty would hear her next words.

“I thought you knew that you don’t need all that with me.“
She had the suspicion that Natty was going back to what she knew: The rush, the glamour.
When that wasn’t Julie’s world.
When that wasn’t how they had been doing things.

The brightness in Natty’s eyes flickered for a moment before she went back to her smiley self.
She hummed noncommittally. Then, she tilted her head and paid Haneul a curious once-over.
Julie could practically feel the bench behind her vibrate with the way the young woman was shaking under the idol’s attention.

“See you, Julie.“
She caught Natty’s eye again and nodded.
The idol turned around and started walking back to her original path. Like this was nothing out of the ordinary.
The security and crowd moved with her, and soon Julie and Haneul were left in the dust, people weaving around them in pursuit of the celebrity.

Julie slumped down onto the bench, staring blankly at the ground. She didn’t even notice the curious glances the passing fans were throwing her way.
“Julie, what the heck was that?!”

Haneul’s voice was higher in pitch than usual.
Only someone like Natty could throw her off this hard, Julie would be impressed if she didn’t already know how Natty’s simple presence could make someone feel.

Oh, this was going to be a joy to explain…