I Get Off

Aria had never considered herself to be particularly optimistic.

Even as far back as when they were kids, Sonata would often complain that Aria always expected the worst of a situation. Never half-full, never on the bright side. Just ceaseless, slightly depressing pessimism. Of course, Aria countered this argument by saying she was normally right to never count on catching a break, but it didn't change the fact that Aria was rarely prepared for good things to happen to her. Therefore, when they did, she didn't know exactly how to react.

Nowadays, Aria was routinely exposed to the best thing to ever happen to her, and that best thing was just finishing her set when Aria returned from the bar.

"There's my girl," purred Adagio as she hopped off of the stage. She cut a swath through the crowd of heart-eyed gentlemen, who showered her with praise, flirtations, and, in more than a few cases, tips that went directly into her waistband. She smiled as she neared Aria, eyes locked on either of the two glasses she held. "One of those wouldn't happen to be for me, would they?"

"You think I'm bold enough to come to your work and buy another girl a drink?" Aria handed off the old-fashioned she got from the bar and leaned in to give Adagio a kiss on the cheek. "Nice routine, by the way. Crowd ate you up tonight."

"Thanks, sugar. Really means a lot to me that you're here." She clinked her glass against Aria's before taking a sip. "I hope you're not uncomfortable seeing me like this."

"You think that seeing you, my incredibly attractive girlfriend, taking her clothes off, would make me uncomfortable?"

"I meant the 'in front of strangers' part, sugar."

"Right. Well, they can look, but can they do this?" Before Adagio had a chance to ask what "this" was, Aria brought their lips together and kissed her deeply and passionately. There were a few drunken stares from horny passers-by, but Aria ignored them in favor of Adagio. When they broke apart, they both had that familiar, punch-drunk grin that normally preceded some messy alone time. "And I didn't even have to tip you for that."

"My, someone's bold today," snickered Adagio. “You’ve been so tired from work lately, but now? Looks like you’re back from the dead.”

"What can I say? Had a good day." Aria pulled Adagio close, one arm wrapped around her wide, sensual hips. "Hoping for a good night, too. Think you could help me out?"

"Hm… I think I might be able to do that for you."

"Sweet. Your place or mine?"

"Actually, sugar… was wondering if you had it in you to hit up one more spot," said Adagio. Though Aria took point with the kiss, Adagio very quickly and easily regained control of the situation by grabbing Aria's hand and gently leading her towards the door. "A business partner of mine is holding a rave at a place called The Steeple, not too far from here. She asked me to swing by to give the party a little boost."

"You performing?"

"Please, sugar. Me being there is enough to turn a party from a 7 to a 10, no problem. I'm just there for some eye candy, maybe some cross-promotion." Adagio leaned in close and whispered into Aria's ear. "And for Mommy to show off her good girl to her friends…"

"Y-you really know how to sell it, huh?" chuckled Aria nervously, that familiarly intoxicating chill running down her spine. "Alright, I'm down. Let's go."

Adagio chuckled airily, beckoning Aria to follow her out of the club. Of course, Aria needed very little convincing to follow Adagio anywhere, though she did trail just a few paces behind her girlfriend for a rather obvious reason. Adagio noticed, and laughed at Aria's somewhat thirsty display; All this time and performances and lap dances later, and Aria still couldn't help but ogle at the dancer's ass. It was cute, in a way.

"So, a rave, huh?" mused Aria as they piled into the back of Adagio's car. After a quiet greeting to Mr. Tie, the vehicle took off with the two lovebirds comfortably in the back seat. "You always surprise me when you say you're into stuff like that."

"Oh? Why's that?" asked Adagio.

"I dunno, it just does. I guess it's your, uh… what's the word? Aesthetic?" Aria shrugged. "Your style is more Jessica Rabbit than P!nk, y'know?"

"I've got some depth to me, sugar. You know that." Adagio leaned her head against Aria's shoulder, smirking at the way she stiffened up. "But you're right, I suppose. This is more your thing, isn't it?"

"Maybe back in the day. Not so much of a party girl these days." Adagio chuckled, her laughter floating through the air like music to Aria's ears. "Nata likes to give me shit for acting like an old man just because I like being home at a reasonable hour."

"Well, don't you worry, Gramps. We'll get you tucked in before you know it."

As usual, Adagio knew exactly what she was doing.

As soon as they arrived at The Steeple, which from the looks of things was at some point an actual, functioning church before being repurposed into a nightclub, Aria could feel her little goth-tinged heart flutter. It was brooding, it was harsh, it was perhaps even a little edgy; If Aria had to build the coolest-looking club from the ground up, her club would probably look a lot like The Steeple. As Mr. Tie stopped outside of the entrance, Aria could feel the thumping bass in her narrow chest, and as she stepped out with Adagio on her arm, all eyes were on them. Though not usually one for being in the spotlight, there was something electric about the sensation of going up to the front door of a crowded club with a beautiful woman beside her. Adagio barely had to flash the bouncer a glance before he stepped aside to let them in. The party was well underway by the time they arrived, and all the two had left to do was hit up the bar, dance to a few songs, and enjoy their night out.

"Ha! Ain't no way!"

Rather, that's what Aria thought, until she locked eyes with Sunset from across the dance floor.

"Oh fuck." Aria made to turn away, but Adagio tightened her grip on her arm, keeping her in place, even as Sunset started making her way through the crowd of dancing ravers, in their direction. "Babe, Sunset—"

"Oh, I see her, sugar. But I’m not about to let some messy bitch dictate where we get to hang out," said Adagio firmly. "As far as I'm concerned, this is our party. She's gatecrashing."

"But—"

"Hey, have I ever let you get hurt before?"

"N-no."

"Damn right, no." Though her words were stern, there was a powerful warmth behind them, and every syllable made Aria weaker in the knees than the last. "And that’s not going to change now. Do you trust me?"

"Of course, I trust you," said Aria. There was no question in her mind that Adagio meant what she said, and by some reflex, Aria found herself squeezing her arm a bit tighter. "I trust you."

"Good girl. So let Mama Bear worry about Shimmer. You just worry about being cute for me." Adagio switched up her vibe in a snap as Sunset swayed into earshot. "Hey, Sunny, fancy seeing you here!"

"I was thinking the same thing. What, you two following me or something?" It was immediately clear from the way she spoke (to someone who knew her as well as Aria did, anyway) that Sunset was more than just a bit drunk. Her smudged lipstick, and the kiss mark on her neck, gave more indicators that she wasn't as far removed from her party-girl lifestyle as Aria was. "This big ass city and I keep bumping into you."

"It was only the toy shop before here, right?" mused Adagio. "What's the saying? Twice is a coincidence, three times is enemy action?"

"Ouch. Come on, I'm not that bad, am I?" said Sunset with a drunken, off-kilter little smirk. "Hm… Yeah, guess I am, ha!"

"Been having fun tonight?" said Aria, a bit dryly. If Sunset noticed Aria's tone, she sure didn't act like it, instead just bouncing to the music with her drink in hand. "Hope you have a driver set up."

"Pssh, lighten up, will ya? I'm not even that drunk," snorted Sunset. "Could probably drive myself home if I really needed to… But nah, I've got a ride. Thanks for the concern, babe."

"Easy there, Shimmer. I told you, I get very possessive." As if to prove the point, Adagio slipped her arm around Aria's narrow waist and pulled her in closer. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we can't really stay long. Just a quick fly-by to say hello to some old friends of mine."

"Oh, cool, I'll tag along! I know pretty much everyone here, feels like, might be able to introduce you to some new potential clients," said Sunset. "They might want a quick demo, but you probably don't have a problem throwing it back real quick, right?"

"Pardon?"

"Actually, Ada, I've been dying to hit the restroom," said Aria, quite suddenly. "You coming with?"

"Sure thing, sugar. Sunny, we'll be right back.”

Aria grabbed Adagio by the hand and, with a level of control and intensity that Adagio didn't always associate with her girlfriend, led the way to the restrooms. She didn't get much of a chance to question it as Aria all but kicked in the door, and dragged them both into the dimly lit bathroom. They were alone, thankfully, but Aria didn't seem to care; She was on Adagio before even checking for other occupants, kissing her girlfriend deeply as she pinned the dancer to the wall. Adagio was taken aback, but she liked the energy she was getting from Aria and returned it in kind.

With equal parts of power and care, Adagio rolled with Aria, pressing Aria’s back to the wall in a reversal of their previous position. Back in the driver's seat—the way the both of them liked it—Adagio planted a trail of kisses along Aria's body; Her lips, her neck, her chest. There was scarcely an inch of Aria's body that Adagio ignored, all the way down to her waist, her pelvis, a few between the legs, before Aria pulled her back up for another passionate exchange of lip on lip, tongue against tongue. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but to Adagio, it was hours of endless bliss, so intoxicating that the dancer needed a moment to catch her breath when they broke apart.

“This isn't a complaint, mind you, I just need to ask,” breathed Adagio. “But where the hell did that come from?”

“Was feeling a little jumpy,” said Aria with a shrug. “Needed a little something to calm my nerves.”

“You call that calming? Fired me up, personally.” Despite ostensibly being on the receiving end for a change, Adagio matched Aria's intensity with her own, firmly but lovingly gripping the smaller woman by the side of the face. “Let's hurry up and get this fly-by over with, sugar, because now all I want to do is drag you home and make you sing.”

Aria grinned, offering her arm to her beloved, and the two set off from their brief rendezvous to rejoin the party. It was a strange role reversal, with Aria leading the charge back onto the packed club dance floor. Strange, but welcome, in Adagio’s eyes. Finally, some confidence and self-assurance from the woman she adored so much. Her only hope now was that it would last.

As the two made their way deeper into the party, eyes began to linger on the pair, in a way that Adagio wasn't expecting. Given her profession, she was used to stares, and swaths of men comically trying to sneak a peek with all the subtlety and discretions as a brick through a window. This was different. The energy was off, and Adagio wasn't quite sure why. No matter. What was important was saying hi to her contacts, promoting her brand, and getting the hell out of there in favor of a few hours of passion with the woman she loved.

“That's my girl, Valerie,” said Adagio, pointing forward through the crowd to a curvy woman sitting in a booth, in what appeared to be the club's VIP section. Almost expected at this point, sitting just next to her was Sunset, chatting up the woman as if they'd been friends for years. “And she accused us of following her…”

“Come on, let's just get it over with.” Despite the situation, Aria didn't seem too rattled to see Sunset there. Maybe that little encounter in the restroom was what Aria needed, after all. Adagio decided to keep that in mind as they approached. “Hey, Sunset, we're back.”

Sunset looked up from her conversation, and a flash of emotions ran across her features. Surprise at first, then annoyance, then finally landing on just barely restrained disdain. She managed a smile, but just barely, and she didn't have the same confidence and control that Adagio had experienced the last time they had spoken. Someway, somehow, it was her who seemed rattled. “Sorry we’re late, Val,” said Adagio, giving a wave to her friend. Valerie just shook her head, and buried her face in her palm. “What’s that about?”

“Jesus, Adagio…” groaned Val.

“You two have fun in there?” droned Sunset. “Gotta say, you’re bolder than I thought, Ada.” By this point. Adagio was highly confused, and looked to Aria for answers.

Smattered across Aria’s face were numerous glowing, turquoise kiss marks, glowing luminously beneath the club’s blacklights. The fluorescent blue glow was almost impossible to miss, and Adagio was certain she would’ve noticed had she not been so distracted by Aria’s bold display. The horror began to gnaw at Adagio as she realized just why so many people were staring at her, why Valerie seemed so embarrassed for her, and why Sunset was clearly miffed. Every single kiss that the two had shared in that bathroom had been advertised to the whole club, with bright teal signs showing exactly where lips met skin.

And, were the lightning conditions better, Aria would have been able to see her girlfriend blush for the very first time.

“I know you like to be flirty,” said Val. “But please don’t make a habit of getting down and dirty in my bathrooms. Didn’t think I had to say that, but…”

“Now Val, I know what this looks like, but I swear it’s not what you think,” sighed Adagio. She glanced over to Aria, who, for some infuriating reason, still wore that confident smirk she had when she led the way to the restroom. It was at that point did Adagio realize that, at least on Aria’s part, this was no accident. “Just a heavy make-out session, nothing wild.”

“Looks like you were ‘making out’ with her pussy,” noted Sunset. She stood up and stretched, slowly making her way past the couple. “Listen, Aria, if you’re trying to make me jealous, I’m flattered, but it’s not gonna work.”

“Who said this has anything to do with you?” snorted Aria. Sunset stopped, just a few paces past Aria, and turned on the spot.

“Oh, so you’re saying you’re not following me around to show off your hot slut stripper girlfriend?” Both women turned to face Sunset, and almost as an afterthought, she added. “No offense, Ada.”

“Watch the way you talk about my girl.” Before Adagio could remark “none taken”, Aria was already firing back. “We’re not following you, I’m not showing off anything, and she is not a slut.”

“Aria, relax,” said Adagio. “I’ve heard worse, I don’t care.”

“There’s the Aria I know. You’ve been keeping a cool head, but you’re still the same old hothead I dumped ages ago,” said Sunset. “Always ready to start an argument. Besides, I didn’t even say anything negative. I love a good slut, who doesn’t? Back me up here, Val.”

“Staying out of this,” said Valerie. “This isn’t my business, unless you guys think I need to make it my business. And I don’t think that’s necessary, right?”

“Right,” said Adagio, grabbing her significant other firmly by the arm. “Aria, honestly, it makes literally no difference to me what she says. I don’t care. Let it go.”

“I’d listen to her if I was you, Aria. You’ve always had bad judgment.” Despite her insistence that she was innocent, Sunset just kept fueling the fire. “Always thinking with your pussy instead of your head. Whatever makes you happy, right? And hey, I guess if acting slutty and embarrassing yourselves in public is what makes you two happy, then—”

Somehow, despite the loud thudding beats of the club’s music, Adagio would have sworn that every single person in The Steeple heard Aria’s hand meet Sunset’s cheek. Time went still for a moment as all present parties absorbed what had just happened. Sunset looked up, fire in her eyes, and clutched her stinging, angry red cheek with a snarl. Despite her intensity, and Adagio’s obvious horror beside her, Aria stood her ground and leered right back at her ex.

“Not gonna tell you again,” said Aria. She clenched her fists, and every bad habit she managed to get rid of after high school started to boil back up to the front of her brain. “Don’t talk about my girl like that.”

For a second, it was pure silence between them. Then, all at once, Sunset erupted with a terrifying fury.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?! You think you can just go around assaulting people you don’t like?” Sunset’s voice was naturally loud, and her angry shouts carried even stronger through the club. It wasn’t long before heads were turning to see the commotion, and Aria began to fear she may have made a mistake. “I tried to be nice! I tried to be friendly and cordial—which you don’t even fucking deserve after what you did to me, by the way—and what do I get for it? I get burned just like always! Whenever things don’t go Aria’s way, you just have to find a way to make it someone else’s problem, huh? Jesus, I am so fucking finished with you, you fucking psycho!”

“Alright, alright, now it is my business.” Valerie stood up, beckoning to a pair of bouncers standing near the bar. “Adagio, baby, I’ll always be cool with you, but you’ve got about 30 seconds to get your girlfriend out of my club before my boys kick you out the hard way.”

“Don’t worry, Valerie.” Adagio’s lip curled, and she firmly grabbed Aria by the arm, dragging her away. “We’re leaving now.”

“Yeah, get the fuck outta here!” came Sunset’s drunken shouts, only serving to intensify the situation, and garner more attention. “Better keep a tight hold of her, Ada, before she swings on someone else!”

“Yeah, Shimmer, quit while you’re behind,” said Valerie with a venomous glare. “Your drunk ass is going out through the back door. Boys, make sure she gets out safe.”

Aria didn’t even get to enjoy the sight of seeing Sunset kicked out, because Adagio was dragging her through the crowd with a previously unknown focus and determination. Not a word was shared between them, even as they spilled out into the chilly streets. Aria was going to speak, but before she could, Adagio pulled out her phone and dialed out a number.

“Mr. Tie, if you would be so kind, Aria and I just left the club.” The way that Adagio said Aria’s name was not the way that Aria had come to enjoy in the past. No, this carried a barely restrained annoyance that very quickly set Aria on edge. “Yes, we’re right outside. Thank you kindly.” Adagio then pocketed her cell phone and, without a word, leered at Aria, evidently waiting for some sort of acknowledgment. And so, perhaps unfortunately, Aria tried her best.

“So…” said Aria awkwardly. “That went a lot better in my head.”

“You know, I had next to no expectations for your response, Aria, but you managed to miss even the lowest possible bar with that.” Adagio’s voice quivered, and even though she never, ever liked to shout outside of the bedroom, it was clear that she was nearly at that point right then. “So I’ll just go ahead and ask the stupid question. What the hell were you thinking in there?”

“I… Look, she was pissing me off. I’m not gonna sit there and let anyone talk to you like that,” said Aria. “And if you want me to apologize for standing up for you, sorry, it ain’t happening.”

“Oh my God, with every passing second, I find myself more pissed off than the last.”

“Look, I’m sorry I caused a stink and ruined your promo thing, but—”

“If you think I’m mad about getting kicked out of a party I didn’t particularly want to go to in the first place, then you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought!” Adagio threw her hands up, turning away so that she didn’t even have to look at Aria. “You know damn well I’m not hurting for business, I didn’t need this advertisement. That’s not the point!”

“Then… I’m lost,” admitted Aria. She tried to look Adagio in the eye, but once again, the dancer turned away. “If you didn’t need this, then what? Cause I got us kicked out? I didn’t mean to embarrass you, I just—”

“You didn’t embarrass me, Aria. You fucking used me. You used me to try and stick it to your toxic ex, and let me just tell you this.” When Adagio finally turned back to face Aria, she did so with tears in her eyes, and Aria immediately understood that she had made a terrible mistake. “I take my clothes off in front of strangers for a living, I hear the most disgusting, perverted things said about my body regularly. The looks I get in that club from some of those pigs, they stare at me like a slab of meat, and somehow, I’ve never felt more objectified in my entire life than I do right now.”

“Oh… Oh, fuck… Ada, I—”

“No! Don’t you fucking dare ‘Ada’ me! You used me as a prop to piss off Shimmer! And for what? Why do you care so damn much about what she thinks of you?” Adagio nearly choked on her words, just barely resisting the urge to outright bawl right there in the middle of the sidewalk. “Am I not enough for you?”

“Adagio, don’t even say that. You know that’s not it,” swore Aria. “I just… You have to understand, me and her, it’s complicated.”

“In what way? What can be so damn complicated about the fact that you do not need her approval or validation? Unless…” Adagio took in a deep breath, in a failing attempt to calm her nerves. She pulled her hair from her face with trembling hands, breathing slowly as she swallowed down her heart before it leaped from her chest. “I asked you a while ago, and you didn’t give me a straight answer then. I thought I was okay with that, but maybe I was wrong. So I’m asking you again now. Do you still have feelings for Sunset?”

The answer was simple, obvious. It shouldn’t have required any thought at all. And yet, as Aria went forth to say, no, of course not, she paused. She wanted to say the words, but they got caught on her tongue, and she froze. It was only a second’s hesitation, but Adagio was a keen woman, and she noticed that hesitation immediately. Her face fell, and just when her heart split in two, her familiar black luxury car pulled up to the curb. Mr. Tie stepped out and, though he maintained his usual professional demeanor, it was clear that he noticed that something was amiss.

“Ma’am?” Mr. Tie cleared his throat, earning a glance from his mistress. “Is everything okay?”

“Mr. Tie, please take Aria home.” Adagio’s voice was low, heavy with a million things she wanted to say, but for one reason or the other, kept to herself. “Make sure she gets home safely.”

“And you, ma’am?”

“It’s not far. I’ll walk.”

“What? No, Adagio, don’t do that,” said Aria. “Let’s just talk—”

“The very last thing I want to do right now, Aria, is talk to you. And your best chance of me wanting to talk to you is to give me some space.”

“But… Fine, but still, don’t walk. I’ll take a cab, you don’t have to do that.”

“I know. I wasn’t asking.” She glanced at Mr. Tie, who looked on with concern, but did not argue. “Please walk her to her front door when you arrive, and make sure she gets inside safely.”

“Yes, ma’am, of course,” said Mr. Tie. “Though, if you’d prefer to wait for a bit, I can of course come back to pick you up?”

“Thank you, but I don’t want to talk to anyone today. I need to get my head on straight, before I say something I regret.”

“Adagio. Adagio!” Despite Aria’s calls and shouts, Adagio did not respond. She just kept on going forward, down the street in the direction of home. Part of Aria wanted to follow her, but she thankfully thought better of it. No need to make things worse. “Adagio! I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry!”

“Come along, ma’am.” Mr. Tie opened the door for Aria and gestured inside. “I’ve known Ms. Adagio long enough to know that now it’s best to leave her be. Let’s get you home, hm?”

Again, Aria considered ignoring Mr. Tie, ignoring common sense, and running after the woman she loved, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Deep in her heart, she knew she’d just ruin things further, if that was even possible. So, without much in the way of options, Aria slowly trudged over to the car and slid into the backseat. Mr. Tie closed the door behind her and took the driver’s seat, sparing Aria a glance in the rear-view mirror before taking off.

It was quiet for a while, neither Aria nor Mr. Tie acknowledging each other. Aria just stared out the window, at the sight of Adagio growing smaller and smaller as they drove in the opposite direction, until she couldn’t see her at all anymore. What a mess, and worst of all, Aria had no one to blame but herself. While she could certainly say that Sunset didn’t help matters, at the end of the day, it was her own actions that had upset Adagio.

“God, I’m such a fuck up…” groaned Aria, slumping her head against the glass. She looked up, and just as she did, Mr. Tie darted his eyes back to the road, to make it seem as though he hadn’t been looking. “Sorry. I know this is probably a pain, taking me all the way home just cause I’m an idiot.”

“Ms. Aria, with your permission, I’d like to offer you a bit of advice,” said Mr. Tie, much to Aria’s surprise. Mr. Tie was a friendly enough man, but he took his job quite seriously, and so he very rarely spoke this candidly to Aria. Usually just a polite greeting and farewell whenever he took the two around for their dates and such. “You don’t have to take it, of course, but I think it might do you some good.”

“Sure, why not?” sighed Aria with a shrug. “Can’t hurt, right?”

“Hm. Once, a long time ago, there was a woman that I knew well, and there was something she’d often say. She’d say that everyone on Earth has exactly two things in common; We all fuck up, and we all die.” Aria’s eyebrows went up at that, having never heard Mr. Tie utter even a darn or a heck in all the time she’d known him. “And by the time the second thing happens, the first one doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Huh. She sounds like a hell of a woman.”

“Oh, she was. Like you would not believe. Not unlike Ms. Adagio.” It went quiet for a spell, before Mr. Tie continued. “We all make mistakes, Ms. Aria. I’ve made more than my fair share of them, and I still, to this day, do not believe I’ve done nearly enough to earn Ms. Adagio’s forgiveness for it.” Another few beats of quiet, and it sounded like Mr. Tie was composing himself. “I don’t know if she’s told you, but Ms. Adagio is my goddaughter.”

“Oh, wow. She’s never said that before,” said Aria. “You’re her godfather…”

“It’s in her nature to keep that to herself. She’s trying to protect my privacy. And I promised her, as well as her parents, that I would take care of Ms. Adagio as if she were my own child. For the most part, I believe I have. I’ve never had children of my own, but Ms. Adagio… For all intents and purposes, Ms. Adagio is my daughter.”

“And I just royally pissed her off…” Aria rested her face in her palms, groaning to herself once again. “If you wanna just dump me on the side of the road, I totally get it…”

“My point, Ms. Aria, is that I care about her, and I want her to be happy. Regardless of what you’ve done or said tonight, you make her very happy,” explained the driver. “I think you’re very good for her, and you’re both made better by having each other. So I urge you… Do not give up. Do not call it quits just because you ‘fucked up’. Because if Ms. Adagio can find it in her heart to forgive me, after all the trouble I’ve caused her with my own fuck up, then surely she can forgive you. You just have to get off your ass and show her that you are willing to put in the effort to make things right between you two.” Mr. Tie blinked, as if he had only just then heard the words coming out of his mouth. “Erm… Forgive my language, Ms. Aria. It’s just, as I said, I want you both to be happy. When things are this important, I don’t want to tiptoe around the point politely. I’m rooting for you. I always have.”

Aria took in a deep breath, absorbing the surprising advice from its equally surprising source. She was a bit skeptical at first, but the longer she thought about what Mr. Tie said, the more sense it made to her. Adagio wasn’t vindictive, wasn’t particularly petty. But Aria had hurt her, and just yelling sorry down the street wasn’t what Adagio wanted to hear. Action, and honest effort, were what Adagio would need to heal. Aria felt as though she owed Adagio a lot over the past year or so. A bit of effort to make up for her mistake was the least she owed.

“Okay. Stop moping around and do something about it, yeah?” said Aria. Mr. Tie nodded, and smiled ever-so-slightly at the new look in Aria’s eyes. Now, it wasn’t regret or self-pity behind those eyes. It was determination, the desire to remedy her mistakes. “Mr. Tie, next time you have a day off, remind me that I owe you a beer.”

Now, Mr. Tie’s little smirk turned into a full-on cheeky grin.

“Respectfully, Ms. Aria, after some of the things you and Ms. Adagio have gotten up to in the backseat of my car, you owe me a lot more than one.”