I definitely had a lot of issues continuing on with this story? I feel like I want to write a lot of things and I'm trying to rush where I want to go. So, I'm trying to make things work? I don't really love this chapter and it should have been part of the last chapter but I split it up. I'm hoping I can write more and update more for this

Jasper gets a text from Pearl the moment she and Peridot return to the car after stopping off for lunch at a small diner in the city. However, one text from Pearl turns into twelve and they slowly become an essay as to why Pearl was running behind schedule for today. Jasper ignores that part, scrolling to know if she was finally allowed to come over and pick up her lingerie. After the tenth message she tells Jasper she was free to come over and Jasper only responds with a one letter response of 'k' to annoy Pearl before heading off to the suburbs to her home.

This trip to Pearl's warranted information about Jasper that Peridot had never asked about but had always been curious to know. How she and Pearl met and what their relationship had been. Peridot remembers that Pearl told her a little information about herself, the lingerie business she built herself out of her love for fashion, but nothing more than that. It was clear to her however, that her and Jasper's relationship was more than just friends or friends with benefits. They had a connection and a relationship that Peridot wanted to know more about because she was interested in Jasper's life and that meant her relationships with other women.

Jasper gladly explains her relationship with Pearl, but it was a bit complicated and started back when Jasper had just turned eighteen. Pearl was looking for models and Jasper had happily obliged since she was looking for money for college. One thing had led to another and the two had slept together and Jasper became an impromptu model for her site. Pearl introduced Jasper to a lot of the parties she had gone to and even directors who had been looking for porn stars. At the end of the day, Pearl was the person that encouraged Jasper to start doing porn and helped her create her own website and build her fan base to what it was today. There was more to it of course, but it involved Pearl's complex relationships which Jasper didn't feel as if it was appropriate to talk about without her permission or her in the car with them.

The simpler explanation is that Pearl was Jasper's best friend and her mentor in the beginning of her career. Any other information would have to come directly from Pearl herself.

Coming to Pearl's house made Peridot incredibly anxious because she was so unsure about Pearl. Even if Jasper had been such great friends with and had this incredibly deep and complex relationship, Peridot only knew Pearl as the woman who made lingerie—which Peridot still refused to talk about, or let Jasper see in her due to her embarrassment—and who semi-flirted with her at Jasper's porn shoot. Peridot does not want to go inside of Pearl's house because of how nervous she is, but she tries to swallow her feelings to keep herself calm. It just was not working very well. Peridot regretted coming with Jasper because she compared herself to Pearl. Not due to appearance solely—because Peridot knew she was attractive—but because the length of their friendship. She wasn't jealous that Jasper and Pearl had a previous relationship, just that Pearl had known Jasper longer than Peridot has. If Peridot could, she would want to go back and time and have known Jasper first.

There were other comparisons as well, such as the differences between both of their homes was the fact that Pearl had fashion sense. Peridot's home had become an amalgam of stuff while the outside of Pearl's house has a well-tended garden, Victorian pillars framing the doorway, and an overall sense of feeling put together. When Jasper unlocks the door with a spare key she has, Peridot is the first to walk inside and even the inside of Pearl's house feels like she has stepped into an old fashion house with the smell of fresh wood and books overwhelming her. It was lovely, the furniture looked was hand crafted with its carved-leaf crest and scrolled arms. The upholstery reminded Peridot of something she had seen in old fashioned movies and it made her question if Pearl was interested in past eras or just liked the fashion.

"Take off your shoes." Jasper instructs and Peridot immediately follows, slipping them off and putting them in this small space by the door that Peridot assumes was used for that purpose alone.

"It's so…Clean in here." Peridot comments, not sure what to say about the place.

"Yeah, that's Pearl for you. If you let her over your house, she'd clean it for you.

"I'll keep that in mind." Peridot crosses her arms as she walks across the hardwood floor, eyeing the bookshelf which covers the wall from floor to ceiling . "What's she doing anyway?"

"Probably cleaning up from her last client. Want to see something weird?"

She turns back to Jasper, "yes, yes I do."

Jasper comes closer to the bookshelf, scanning the spines of the books until she finds the one she is looking for and pulls it from the shelf. She ushers Peridot to follow her, sitting down on the couch and opening the book. "Back when I was eighteen, Pearl used me as a model for a book she wrote about making lingerie." She flips through a few pages, stopping on a specific page which was one of Pearl's earlier designs. It was two separate photos, one was a floor length, sheer robe and the second was just the lace panties which went with it.

"You had short hair." It's the first thing Peridot notices, the short length of Jasper's hair sitting just above her shoulders.

"I love how you immediately notice it." Jasper laughs as Peridot takes the book from her. "I figured you've never seen the first couple videos I ever did, or else you would have mentioned it."

"Currently, I think the earliest video I've seen is the abandoned house."

"Fuck, that's old. I started growing my hair out that year. So, this photo was not that long after I turned eighteen, and a few months after that I started working for a company. You know, I had an undercut for a while."

Peridot immediately turns to look at Jasper.

"What?"

"I need pictures."

"Why?"

"You know, for research." Peridot says, making Jasper laugh again. "Did she use you for other books?"

"No, but I think she still has photos of me in her portfolio and probably on her blog. She likes to dress up women in lingerie and take photos of them." Jasper pauses for a moment, wondering if she should explain what exactly Pearl does with these women.

"That's pretty typical though, isn't it?"

"Yeah but, Pearl tends to sleep with them?"

Peridot clears her throat, "well, that's interesting. It's getting late, we should go now."

"Peridot." Jasper says softly, and Peridot groans. "If you aren't comfortable with her flirting with you, tell her. She doesn't have ulterior motive, if you say no, she'll back off."

Peridot groans louder.

Jasper has spoken to Peridot enough in the time they've known each other to understand exactly why Peridot was whining and groaning about this. It wasn't that she was didn't want to talk about it because she was uncomfortable talking about it, it was because she was embarrassed about how she felt. "You know…Unless, you're interested in her."

"Stop talking." Peridot says immediately and Jasper grins, knowing she was right.

"I told you I was comfortable with you having other relationships, but Pearl's relationships are strictly friends-with-benefits. Well, last I knew they were. I'm really curious what you like about her."

"I'm not going to tell you."

Jasper pouts playfully, "if you don't tell me…I guess I can't show you the pictures of my old hair or the original videos I've done."

"You're a horrible person. Depriving me, your loving girlfriend, of such important photos and video evidence."

Jasper laughs, sitting up straight when she notices Pearl come into the room with another woman. "Oh, Bismuth hey!" Jasper stands up from the couch, going over to greet the woman.

Peridot stays in her seat, shifting uncomfortably and watching them chat. She feels awkward, not perfectly comfortable with Jasper's friends or herself really. She tries to listen to the conversation, only because she hears someone mention her name and Jasper points at her briefly, Bismuth waving to her. Peridot cannot help but wave back awkwardly, wanting to hightail it out of there. If she was brave, she would get up and say hello, but knowing herself she would either panic or trip over her words until the person left. But Peridot doesn't have to do that because Bismuth does leave, and she feels a little bit more comfortable in the room.

"I didn't know you convince Bismuth of all people to wear your stuff." Jasper speaks as she crosses her arms.

"Well, of course. I am very talented after all."

Jasper rolls her eyes.

"You two can both come up to my room and I'll give you what I made. I know you were focused on…Whatever it is that your idea was, but I didn't like it. I decided to make something else for you."

"You're not very good at doing what people pay you to do."

Pearl smiles, "trust me when I say this is better." She ushers the women to following her, heading back through the kitchen and to a small hallway that lead to Pearl's studio. "I'm sorry if it's messy in here." She immediately states, moving a chair ever so slightly so it lines up with the rest.

"Messy? You?" Jasper says sarcastically.

"While I do want to see the look on your face when you try this on, I unfortunately have other things to do today." She walks to the large island in the back of the room, picking up a white box and bringing it over to Jasper. "Although…While you are both here." She pauses, Jasper taking the box from her. "I'm very interested in taking Peridot's measurements." She turns to Peridot, "I know I have asked before and if you are uncomfortable, I completely understand, but I am willing to create anything for you. It doesn't necessarily have to be lingerie, that just happens to be my strong suit."

"Uh…Maybe? I don't even know what I'd want to wear?"

"Jasper, will you be a dear and bring this to your car while I speak with her?" Pearl asks as she begins to walk to her desk.

"Sure. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Peridot tries to protest but Jasper pushes her gently in Pearl's direction, and Peridot groans internally as she follows Pearl to her desk. With Jasper gone, Peridot feels even more nervous than she did originally.

"Have you tried on the first piece that I made?" Pearl asks, turning her books around so Peridot could look at the pages.

Peridot glances at them momentarily, noticing they were books of Pearl's designs. "Yeah."

"And what did you think?"

"I don't know? It was nice, I guess?" Peridot shrugs.

"Did it fit? I honestly had to use the information Jasper gave me, so I would understand if it was not a perfect fit."

"The bottom was small…? I mean, I guess I don't see myself wearing something like that."

"That is exactly why I brought out my books. I want to know if anything catches your eyes whether it shape, design, the length, anything at all. You do not have to decide now. Take them home with you and take some time to decide what you are most interested in. We can decide color next time." Pearl smiles and Peridot only nods in response, closing the books and piling on top of one another. "I just need you to stand on that platform so I can take some basic measurements. It won't take long."

Peridot has no idea why she obliges, turning to locate what exactly Pearl was talking about before noticing the group of mirrors in the corner of the room and the round platform on the ground. She does not understand exactly what its purpose is, but she walks towards it, stepping onto it and waits there. Jasper comes back into the room when she does so.

"I've got a question." Jasper asks Pearl as she closes the door behind her.

"Yes?" Pearl responds as she walks over to Peridot, using her tablet to bring up a table to begin charting Peridot's information.

"Why the hell did you make me a coat?"

"It's not a coat, it's a robe. I'm sure you will look lovely in it." Pearl takes her measurements during this argument with Jasper and cannot help but laugh about it.

"I need to stop asking you to make things for me."

"Trust me, Jasper. It is much better than whatever it is that you wanted originally."

"I'll wear it, but I won't like it."

"We both know that you are lying." Pearl smiles as she begins putting numbers into her chart. "Peridot, what sort of fashion are you interested in?"

Peridot shrugs in response.

"I'm going to send you over some choices…You just need to rate them and pick which you like better. I can design some concepts based on them." She finishes her chart and looks up at them both. "you two are free to leave. Don't forget the books." She speaks as she leaves the room.

Peridot looks at Jasper, "so...Can we get coffee on the way home?"

"Fine." Jasper responds, shaking her head in annoyance.