title : bitch, i can't feel my fucking toes!
oc / pairing : chris larroquette and
tatum riley (riloquette)
trigger warnings : none!

DAY TWO : " i can't feel my fucking toes . "

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" AREN'T YOU UNCOMFORTABLE IN THOSE THINGS ? "

Chris shook her head. She didn't think they were uncomfortable at first. At least, not in this moment. She had only bought them for one purpose. It's not like she was wearing them everyday. Which wasn't really good on her part, considering that she hadn't had time to break them in. Stevie was worried about her tripping and falling right on her
face.

"A little," Chris told him, "But I just wanna be tall for one night and so does Tate."

"Was it Tate's idea or yours?" Stevie asked.

Chris was quiet for a moment. She didn't want to admit that she was doing this for Tatum. Chris was all for high heels, but stilettos? She didn't know for sure. She thought the heel was one of the ugliest things. But, she was going to try it at least once.

"That's what I thought," Stevie mumbled, turning the page to his book.

Chris huffed. "It was an excuse to buy new shoes, okay?"

"How do you know that? How do you know that Tatum isn't plotting something to embarrass you?" Stevie asked, "Because she does have a track record of hurting your feelings."

Chris shook her head. "That's not gonna happen," she said quickly, "Besides, we're going to Judas Prance. I know Miss Patsy has my back."

"Uh, yeah, your back until it comes to ugly fashion. You know what he's gonna say!" Stevie told her, before putting on his best cockney accent mixed with valley girl. Patsy's accent, "Chris, honey, I love you, but those shoes are a bloody mess!"

Chris threw one of her pillows at her brother. Not even for making fun of the shoes, but because he was mocking Patsy. "Bitch, shit the fuck up!"

"Chris, you made me lose my page!" Stevie whined, grabbing for his book.

"You'll find it," Chris said back, crossing her arms.

Before Stevie can argue back, a car horn is hard through the window. Stevie flipped the pages to his book, eventually finding where he left off. "I guess that's your cue," Stevie said.

"Yep," Chris replied, before grabbing everything she needed. Her purse, extra lipstick, extra hair tie in case she got wasted (under Patsy's supervision, who knows). "I'll see you later. Unless ..."

Stevie looked up. "What?"

"Teddy's gonna be there tonight, you sure you don't wanna double date with us?" Chris asked.

Stevie hid his face further into his book. "I'm alright," he answered, "besides, he's working anyway. He has to make sure you don't fall on your face."

"You know what──"

Another sound of the car horn traveled through the window. Stevie practically shooed his sister away. "Go," he said, "before your date gets cold feet and drives away."

Chris nodded. "Good point," she muttered, grabbing the rest of her belongings, "bye, Stevie! Don't let Dad wait on me, and don't you do that either."

"Can't promise that," Stevie said back, hearing the clicking of her shoes as his sister walked off.

Chris walked out of the house. She's rushing toward Tatum's shiny red Volkswagen Beetles. She's trying so hard not to stumble over on the concrete. She's doing a good job so far. She carefully gets herself off the steps before getting into the car.

She doesn't even put her seatbelt on first. Her eyes are stuck on Tatum. Her blonde hair was curled. It's a rare sight. It looked nice with her signature red lipstick. She's wearing blue, Chris is wearing red. Two contrasting colors, but complimentary, in a way.

"Hi."

Chris blinked when she finally heard Tatum talk. She finally gave a small smile. "Hey," she said back in a hushed tone, "you look great."

"So do you," Tatum replied back, "Red is totally your color."

This made Chris smile even wider. She tucked one of her curls behind her ear. "Thanks,* she said back.

Tatum started to drive. The two of them are quiet for a moment. Tatum is just making sure that they both get there safe. But, she began the conversation.

"So, Judas Prance, huh?" Tatum asked, "you like it?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah! It's a nice place. A really cool place. You meet a lot of cool people."

"Cool," Tatum said back, "the drinks any good?"

"Oh, the best," Chris told her, "Miss Patsy, she definitely knows what he's doin'. Makes the best drinks in town."

Tatum can only nod. She's nervous about going to the place, considering what kind of place it was. Her hands slightly grip the wheel at the mere thought of going to a gay bar.

Chris noticed this. She knew that she was nervous about going to such a place. She decided to speak up. "Everyone there is cool. The place is cool," she said to her, "You'll be fine."

About ten minutes later, they arrive at Judas Prance. The first thing that Tatum sees is the rainbow neon lights that pretty much overshadow the tattoo parlor next to it. Tatum finds a parking spot, and both ladies h
get out of the car.

Chris could notice Tatum's nervousness. She's looking up at the rainbow sign, like she's entranced by it. It's not until Chris puts her hand on Tate's shoulder that she finally relaxes. Chris eventually lends out her hand.

"C'mon. We'll have a good time, I swear," Chris told her.

Tatum gave a small smile, grabbing the curly-haired girl's hand. The two of them make it to the front door, Chris slightly stumbling in her stiletto heels. Fortunately, Tatum's able to catch her, both of them giggling as they walk inside of the gay bar.

It's a whole new world in there, one that Tatum wasn't expecting. They open the door and they're immediately met with a rainbow bead curtain. They smell of the place taking over her nose. It smelled nice, of vanilla, and another sent that Tatum can't recognize.

Tatum looked around the room. She sees the silver disco ball that's slowly spinning. She's practically engulfed in it. The music wasn't awful, but it was something she grew accustomed to as some time passed.

"You like it?" Chris asked.

Tatum looked away. It's pretty much a struggle to look away from the purple interior and the pictures, and it wasn't that easy to tune the music out to even listen to Chris.

"It's somethin'," Tatum answered.

"Miss Patsy has an eye for this stuff. When I first came here for a job, I felt right at home," Chris explained to her, "it became a safe space after a while."

Tatum nodded, listening to Chris's words. She didn't really know if she believed her or not. It definitely was a pretty place, but she didn't know if it was going to be a safe space for her.

Chris is about to say something else to her. What stops her is a very familiar voice. One that's grown accustomed to. One that she loved.

"Bitch!"

Chris immediately turned. She's not surprised, but Tatum is perplexed by it. Chris smiled widely when she saw him.

"Miss Kelly!" Chris squealed, waving him over.

Tatum was confused to say the least. For the first time, she wasn't in her element, and she felt as if she was a martian on earth. She watched as this tall man──woman? She didn't know until she heard the voice, with bleach blonde curls, and it was fried. Generous amounts of makeup. She watched as the two greeted each other.

"Bitch, that dress on you looks so good," Eve told Chris, "It matches your hair so well!"

Eve then looked at Tatum. He slightly pointed to her. "And you must be the girl Chris never shuts up about. Tatum, right?"

Tatum felt her mouth open, but she couldn't say a word. The flamboyance practically startled her half to death. First, she gave a nod, finally gaining the words to speak to him.

"Yeah," Tatum said back, "that's me."

"Well, Tatum, it is nice to finally meet you," Eve told her, "I'm Eve, and that pretty man over there hiding at that booth, that's Adam."

Tatum took note. "Adam and Eve, huh?" She asked with a slight chuckle, "Hell of a duo, huh?"

"Oh, they're so cool," Chris said to Tatum, "My favorite customers. They're so fun."

"Hell yeah, we are," Eve replied back.

Chris looked around. She noticed that she doesn't see Patsy anywhere in sight. "Where's Patsy?"

"Oh you know. Probably making out with Lucy. Or fucking him, who knows," Eve answered.

As if on cue, Chris heard the storage door open, and the familiar cockney, valley girl accent rang through not only hers, but everyone else's ears. "Oh, honey believe me, I wish we were shagging right now."

It made Chris laugh. She finally faced the bar, grabbing Tatum's hand. She's careful, considering the shoes that they're both wearing. "Now, bitch, that is business that you tell Link, not us," Chris said back.

Patsy turned around. It's quite a dramatic turn. "Well isn't it me favorite employee," he said to her, "And me favorite employee's favorite girl. Tatum, right?"

"That's me," Tatum responded back, "Chris has told me a lot about you."

"Oh, she better have," Patsy said back, "speaking of which. Chris?"

Chris looked up from the menu. "Hm?"

Patsy motioned her over with his finger. Chris definitely knew the signal. She looked at Tatum. "I'll, be right back," she told her, before getting up from the bar seat and walking behind the counter into the storage area.

If anything, Patsy had heard everything. From the way Chris fell in love with her from when Tatum broke her heart. Chris wouldn't blame him for being weary. And from the way he motioned her into the storage room, that was most likely what they were going to be talking about.

"Now, Chris, honey, I love you, but you deserve way better, love," Patsy said to her, "this is the person that stomped on your heart before shattering it into pieces."

"Patsy, I know, I know, but hear me out──"

"And those shoes, darling," Patsy interrupted, "they're a bloody mess! If you needed to go shoe-shopping you could've called me!"

Chris was quiet for a moment. "Tate and I agreed to wear stilettos. We wanted to be tall for a change," she explained, "but listen. You know the Rileys aren't ... The best. You've seen Charlie."

"And Charlie embraces herself, not to mention she's a better girlfriend anyhow," Patsy said.

"Just ... Give it a chance. You don't have to like her, but don't make that known, she already feels out of place in here already," Chris explained.

Patsy huffed. "I'm only doing this for you, love. But if she fucks up tonight, no more chances from me."

Chris gave Patsy a hug. "You're the best, Miss Marsh," she said back to her.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't fall on your face in those heels," Patsy told her.

The two of them walk out of the storage room, back to the bar. It doesn't take both of them long to notice that Tatum had gone missing. Chris looked at Eve, who looked like he was having a grand time dancing to the Twisted Sister song that was playing.

"Hey, Eve?" Chris called over the music, "Do you know where Tatum went?"

Eve didn't stop dancing. However, he did answer her question. "I saw her practically running to the bathroom. Poor girl, she's scared out of her mind!"

Chris looked at Patsy, a worried expression immediately gracing her features. She made it from behind the bar, walking as quickly as she could with her heels on. As she turned the corner, she almost fell over, but leaned against the wall for support.

Even the bathroom is decorative. Patsy wouldn't leave any of the bar looking plain. Chris walked into the ladies' restroom. She moved slowly, trying to spot Tatum's shoes from under the stall doors. She eventually found them at the end of the bathroom, in the last stall.

Chris eventually knocked on the door. "Tate?" She asked, "are you okay in there?"

Tatum didn't answer. She's internally panicking. She doesn't know what to do from behind the door. Chris was starting to worry even more.

"Tatum?" Chris asked.

"Chrissy I can't do this," Tatum blurted out.

Chris didn't quite understand at first. "Do what?"

"This," Tatum answered, "I can't do this, I can't be here."

Chris couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to give up the hope that she had left for her and Tatum. But, it seemed like Tatum already had lost it.

"Tatum, why not?" Chris questioned, "It's not all that bad, it's a good place, it's──"

"Filled with people like you."

Chris was taken aback for a moment. She ran a hand through her hair. "What do you mean by that?"

Tatum finally opened the stall door. "You know exactly what I mean, Chrissy," she said back, walking right past her.

Chris immediately followed her back into the bar. "Tatum! Tate, wait a second, you agreed to do this."

"No, you wanted me to do this," Tatum argued back, "It was your idea, not mine."

"But you said you wanted to──"

"Well, I don't. I don't feel comfortable here, and honestly I don't feel comfortable around you anymore," Tatum told her.

Chris was aware of everyone staring. Well, at least her friends anyway. Patsy, Adam, Eve ... Hell, she could feel Lucy's state and she hadn't realized that he had been in the bar until now.

When Tatum walked off again, Chris followed her again. This time, both of them had made it out of Judas Prance. "So, what are you saying? You're saying you don't wanna associate with me anymore?"

"No, I'm saying that I don't want to associate with your lifestyle," Tatum answered.

That was the penultimate shot. Chris couldn't even say anything back. She could only watch Tatum as she walked back to her car. And it was bad when she started up her car and left her there.

Chris sat down on the sidewalk, right in front of the entrance. Patsy was the first one outside, followed by Lucy, Adam, and Eve. Patsy is the one who sat next to her on the sidewalk, despite the dirt caked up on it.

"Honey ..." Patsy started.

"Bitch," Eve gasped, "are you okay?"

Chris finally threw off her stiletto heels on hurt and anger. Her perfectly manicured toes now reside on the sidewalk. They're bruised and numb from standing on them.

"Bitch," Chris responded back, "i can't fucking feel my toes!"

That was the last thing she said before she started sobbing. She felt humiliated and hurt by Tatum's words. She didn't know if she would ever have a chance. She never had a chance to begin with. Why did she think that tonight was any different?

"That was her way of telling me she had someone else," Chris told them, "trust me, not the first time she's said that to me. First, it was with Stu. Now there's a totally new guy."

She sniffled, running her hand through her red curls. She didn't even know if she could walk right now. Patsy had to help her up from the sidewalk.

"Alright, up you go," Patsy said to her, "She doesn't deserve you anyway. Stuck up wanker."

For some reason it makes Chris giggle through her tears. She wiped them away, her mascara smudged. She heard the keys jingling. She knew exactly what Patsy was gonna do.

"Treat yourself, dear," Patsy told her, "Wash that make up off, relax your feet. Help yourself to the ice cream."

She sniffled, taking the apartment keys. "Thanks, Miss Patsy," she said back, before walking back in, and finding her way back up to the familiar apartment him and Lucy stayed in.