Chapter Text
Kate stared at her outfit in the mirror, pushing back her long straight onyx hair. The white and black houndstooth mini skirt did wonders for her legs, a body part Anthony had mentioned enjoying, but the vintage deep purple crop jacket didn't give the right effect that she wanted. Kate wanted Anthony on his knees when he saw her. Well, for a different reason than he usually was.
Kate snorted to herself, remembering the wrecked expression on Anthony's face that last time he sunk on her carpet to kneel. The man had been glassy eyed, staring up at her in total reverence while she could barely maintain a vision that did not blur around the edges of the orgasm he was coaxing from her. That night was fun, filled with passion and a quick chase before the brunette haired man picked her up and threw her back on the bed. “I'm not finished with you yet.” He grinned, his cocky crooked smile, a thing she now saw in her daydreams. Now she had a chance to make those dreams a reality.
This night had to go smoothly. Her year long ‘frenemies-with-benefits’ Anthony Bridgerton was going to take her out for a date. She'd stupidly agreed to let him pick the place they ate at, but she didn't know where it was. Thus, her wardrobe dilemma. Furthermore, no matter how much Kate interrogated Anthony, he would not give up the location of their date night spot, so she had no idea what to expect or how to dress.
“Stop it didi, you look beautiful.” Her sister Edwina laughed from Kate's phone. Kate called Eddy an hour ago to FaceTime her about her game plans, where she was going and local crime investigators in case things took a turn for the worst. Kate was a green belt in karate and she volunteered at a self-defense class at the local gymnasium, but she wasn't delusional to think she could take on a man twice her size if he snuck up on her. Not that Anthony was on any serial killer or pervert list. She would know, before they started hooking up Kate asked her old college roommate, now a private detective, Laura Golding to look into Anthony's past. It was pretty tame for a man of his status. He had parking tickets, an arrest for vandalism during his college years and an ongoing account with a porn star named Sierra. As far as Kate was aware, Anthony had stopped his sessions with the OnlyFans woman, but maybe not. She made a mental note to ask him about it.
“Yes, thank you Eddy, but,” Kate walked towards her phone, propped up on her desk against her old criminal law books so Edwina could see each outfit she put on from head to toe. “I have no idea where we're going.”
“Don't be so nervous Kate. It doesn't matter where you go. You had Anthony lying about being your late-night booty call for half a year. He will enjoy being in public with you, it doesn’t matter the destination.”
“Yeah but,” Kate wasn't sure she liked being vulnerable especially around someone who was not her family. But Anthony was different. Or maybe he wasn't. She was overthinking. Kate took a calming breath then another one. If her friends were here, what would they say? If Sophie was here, she would panic with Kate.
Shit, Sophie! “Hold up Eddy. I need to talk Soph off a ledge.”
Kate picked up her phone, sending her best friend a quick message of encouragement. The dark-haired woman had a nasty habit of overworking herself and making issues out of things that did not exist. Thus, her reluctance to go on a date with the second eldest Bridgerton.
[“Soph, I know you and you are not allowed to stress over a boy, let alone a Bridgerton. Ben has been into you for months, he'll follow your lead. Relax and have fun tonight.”]
The blonde responded almost immediately. [“Thanks Kate! 🥰 Have a great time with Anthony tonight! He's the luckiest guy in the world, cause you're the best! Love ya ❤️”]
Satisfied, Kate put the phone down, evaluating her closet once more. She ran a hand through her silky hair, “Should I change again or am I giving a man too much power?” She asked aloud, looking at her sister for validation.
Edwina hummed, shrugging. “I think you're letting Anthony win if you create an outfit solely for his pleasure. Now close your eyes and tell me what you'd wear if we were meeting for brunch.”
Kate scoffed, “That's different and you know it.”
“Kate?” Edwina raised an eyebrow.
Kate rolled her eyes. “Ugh,” she closed her eyes. “If I was meeting you for brunch and we just happened to run into Anthony, I would probably wear the new dress that I bought.”
“Great! What does it look like?” Edwina asked.
Kate opened her eyes looking at her closet. She'd placed her new purchase directly in the middle to remind herself so she wouldn't forget to wear it. She had a tiny habit of picking up new or gently used clothes to repurpose for her wardrobe then forgetting to wear them. At first, it was a way for her to save a quick buck when they were growing up and still fit in with her trendy high school friends.
Now as a woman with a decent income, she still found herself shopping at the same places. There was no need to pay an extra hundred dollars for the same product, she thought, grabbing the dress off the hanger. The halter top crisscrossed across her stomach and back and gave teasing amounts of skin as the waist cinched in before falling down in wavy curls of fabric that reached her ankles. The entire dress was a watercolor of whites and blues and purples that made her feel as if she were meant to be a kept woman on a beach somewhere.
She felt sexy and powerful in it. “This is the dress.” She held the dress up to her phone to show her little sister.
Edwina smiled at her. “Omg, that looks great Katie! Anthony will flip his lid when he sees you in that.”
“You think so?” The medium toned woman grabbed her phone, taking it with her to her bathroom as she began to part her hair, pulling out the rolled-up socks and curlers from her jumbled strands. Edwina, ever the trend catcher, found a way to make their usually straight jet-black locks curl and bounce with little effort on their part. While Kate hated the process of taking a few strands at a time and rolling them up before she fell asleep, she couldn't deny the impressive results.
“I know so.” Edwina grinned, her face half concealed from the camera as she moved about. Kate could tell her sister was applying make-up of some kind to her face.
“Going out somewhere?”
“Freddy invited me to meet a few of his uni chaps. Then we've got a picnic planned after.”
“Sounds romantic.”
“Not as much as your date, didi.” Edwina grinned, leaning back into the frame. “I'm just so excited for you, and Anthony's gonna drool about that dress.” The younger woman squealed.
“Oh, Eddy,” Kate sighed, placing her hands on her hips. “His opinion shouldn't matter to me. He's just a man.” The elder went back to taking out the rollers, happy with the way her hair bounced and jumped into perfectly coiffed curls.
“Who you're smitten with.” Her sister volleyed back.
Kate snorted, “I think I'm too old to be in a state of puppy love. Anthony isn't THAT important to me.” She rolled her eyes.
“Okay, whatever you say.” Edwina chuckled. “But there's nothing wrong with being a strong woman AND being involved with a man. No one will think less of you, if you admit you have feelings for him.”
Kate shook her head. “That is not the point.”
“What is the point?”
A knock on her door alerted Kate to someone there. Who could that be? She glanced at her phone. It was too early for Anthony to be there. There was at least an hour before he was supposed to show up. “Hold that thought Eddy. I have someone at my door. Talk to you later.”
“Love you. Have fun.” Edwina acknowledged before signing off of their FaceTime.
Kate left her bedroom, immediately the space opened to display her living room and dining room with her half kitchen to the right. The knocking commenced again, too insistent to be someone friendly. She grabbed the statue on top of her dining room table, holding it in her hands. Every Thursday night, she took a self-defense class but recently Kate had found herself skipping those classes to join a silk gymnastics class instead. While the shiny rope wouldn't help her in this instance, she was sure she could learn to kill a man with the material if she tried.
Inching closer to the door, careful of the way the knocking stopped, Kate pulled up the statue high and snuck behind the hinge of the door. To her surprise, the latch clicked loudly in the darkened room, her heart ramping up. Her self-defense class should soon fall back into her mind any moment now. Was it below the jaw or the collarbone as a pressure point? Shit!
Her front door slowly swung forward, opening her living room to the light. First the yellowish white of the glare beamed down on her rug, then her coffee table and finally her desk, all symbols of the man who she promptly hit on the shoulder.
“Ow! Kate!” A masculine man yelled out.
Kate dropped her statue, scrambling for a light switch to her dining room. As her shaky fingers pushed the switch up, her apartment was floored with light, all narrowing in on the six-foot annoyance, who might be her boyfriend, Anthony Bridgerton.
He was hunched over himself, his eyes wide and unsure, hands clutching his right-side shoulder still covered in a thick sweater even though it was humid for the day.
“Anthony!” She gasped, covering her hand over her mouth.
“What the hell Kate!” He yelled again, finally showing his other hand which held a bouquet of flowers and her favorite blend of tea that she could only buy in select specialist stores.
“I thought you were a burglar!” She cried, walking towards him as he hobbled over to her couch and plopped down.
“So, you hit me!” He yelled, throwing down her present on her end table.
“I had no choice! I thought-” she began coming to sit on her floor between his thighs. Anthony rubbed at his shoulder trying with one-hand to shrug off his sweater. “Anthony.” She grinned. He looked ridiculous.
“Kate, this isn't a laughing matter. Look the moment I-” He finally looked up from his tirade, the words stuck in his throat as he stared at her. “What's that in your hair?”
“My hair?” She pulled away from his reach, falling on her butt as she tried to search around her tresses, coming up with two more rollers.
“Why do you have socks in your hair?” Anthony chuckled.
“Why did you break into my apartment?” Kate countered, crossing her arms.
Anthony coughed, adjusting an invisible tie. “One: I did not break into your apartment; I used the spare key you gave to me.”
“I thought you gave that back!” Kate exclaimed, raising up on her haunches to press in between his legs, her hands splayed over his upper thighs.
Her friends-with-benefits eyes twinkled, the brown of his irises shining under his hooded lids. “Aren't you glad I didn't? Then we wouldn't be in this situation.” His voice purred, fingers coming to play with a strand of her hair.
Kate swatted his hands away. “Hands off creep!”
Anthony grinned again. “You weren't calling me a creep the other night.”
“Oh, my mistake.” She smirked. “Must have been my other boyfriend.” Kate got up victorious, but was pulled down by the man sitting on her couch.
“You can't get away that fast, Sharma.” His hands locked around her waist, body adjusting to nestle his front to her back.
Anthony inhaled the scent from her hair, his nose bushing over her ear as she shivered. “You're awfully touchy today Mr. Bridgerton.”
“And you smell amazing Ms. Sharma. Like candy for the taking.” His breath whispered on her ear, teeth grazing over her lobe as she wiggled her ass onto him. “And you're a fucking tease.”
Kate turned her head, coming to rub over Anthony's taunt cheekbones, the color of his blush accentuated by the way his eyelids fluttered closed, falling under her spell. Kate smirked, hands wrapping on top of his at her waist as she leaned and said “You're early.” Before prying him off of her and standing up.
Anthony groaned, his voice causing her to look over her shoulder. Her maybe boyfriend adjusted his pants, clearly having a rising sun. “You wait here.”
“You're saying I can't watch you change?” He pouted adorably.
“I'm saying you gave me a heart attack and you entered my space without my knowledge. That sounds like two strikes for you, mister.”
“I wait for my punishment.” He grinned wolfishly, hands coming up to pretend his wrists were in imaginary shackles.
“You shall get it.” Kate replied. “By waiting patiently for me to get dressed. Maybe I'll even take a shower before.”
“Kate.” The brunette whined.
She cackled as she turned on her heels and walked away from him.
In the end, she did not take a shower, but knowing Anthony showed up early, meant she had to torture him, by adding lotion to places she had already moisturized and humming loudly, knowing he was played one of their favorite jazz songs coming from the buzzing blare of trumpet she kept hearing in between her fretting. Kate shook her head before reaching for her doorknob. Edwina was right, she was fine and Anthony had no power over her.
Stealing herself, Kate adjusted her dress, fluffed her hair once and stepped out only to lose her breath a bit. Anthony stood by her desk, his white button down displaying the bare chest he had underneath that. His back muscles flexed as he flipped another page through her planner. His arms, bigger in his shirt than she remembered, bulged with veins as one of the porcelain cups her mother Mary gave to her as a housewarming gift looked so small in his hands. Her heart fluttered as she cleared her throat.
“Find anything interesting?” She queried.
“No. I wish. You are an open book for me. Among other open things.”
Anthony turned around giving her a better view of his front too. He perused her without shame. His usually structured hair was slicked back, even though she’d told him on more than one occasion it made him look like a douche. At least the five o’clock shadow growing along his jaw was to her standards. She smirked at the visible gulp her potential boyfriend gave her, his eyes mesmerized as Kate added an extra flair of her hips as she walked towards him. This thing between them would never be easy nor simple, but it would be a huge amount of fun.
She sauntered to him, finger brushing over his jaw. “Close your mouth or you won’t taste anything.”
He gulped, eyes heated with the familiar way she knew. Anthony wanted her and that made her feel powerful. He was hers to control, they both knew it. “I brought and made you tea, but something tells me there’s a more enticing liquid in this space.” He pointed to the cup she assumed was for him, his other hand grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close. Kate kept her cool, trying not to gasp at the possessive way Anthony gripped her body.
His fingers dug into her skin, imprinting on her body more than she was apt to acknowledge. Kate leaned in brushing her lips against his. “You know, if you’re being this nice, a girl could get ideas.” She hushed.
Her not quite boyfriend pulled her even closer, leaving no question for what he intended for the rest of the night. His deep brown eyes searched hers, a secret smile hiding inside his irises at something he saw before him. “And what ideas would those be, Miss Sharma.” The way he whispered her name had her shivering as his fingers played under the crossing straps on her dress.
Kate looked into his eyes seeing only her reflection. What was she doing? Playing high school games? They were grown adults with feelings and a bit of lust, if the hard thing pulsating against her thigh, was any indication. She leaned in to kiss Anthony, no longer pretending to care about the game they always found themselves stuck in.
The brunette man groaned immediately the moment their lips touched, his eagerness obvious at the way he used both hands to ensure she would feel his fingers about her waist for the rest of the night. Anthony tilted his head, guaranteeing that she felt the moment he swayed them, gently grinding on her to a tune only he could hear. As his hands carded through her perfectly crafted hair, Kate guided him elsewhere, moving those fingers driving her crazy to her bottom. Her cheeky idiot squeezed her ass, taking her cue. She gasped, knowing his hands splayed around her buttocks.
Kate saw her dates messed up hair and his lips still wet with her kisses. “Anthony!”
He winked, kissing her on the nose. “This means nothing.” He joked using her catch phrase any time they hooked up late at night.
“Anthony.” She pouted, pushing at his chest to leave his embrace. “You are such a child.”
A hand kept a strong grasp over her wrist, the eldest Bridgerton son grabbing her to swing her back into his orbit. “Maybe that means I need discipline from a grumpy woman.”
“I am not grumpy.”
“Sorry,” he challenged, holding her close. “Is delusional a better adjective?”
“I think this date is over.” she huffed.
“Before it began? You wound me Miss Sharma, I thought you wouldn't run at the first sign of an argument.”
“No, only at the stupidity.” she said, snatching her hand back as she took a step back. Anthony ran a hand through his tousled hair, making him look even more attractive as he followed her steps.
“Elementary banter. You can do better than that.”
“Don’t think because I’m not using my ten-pound words on you to decimate your self-esteem means I do not have the guts.” She hit back the same time her spine collided with the door of her entrance.
The man before her came to stand in front of her, their toes touching. “Oh, I know you have guts and brains and a body that I am very much enjoying in this dress.” His fingers played over the light fabric as she swatted his hand away, “but our reservation is at eight and I promised you fighting in the car as well.”
He held out a hand, waiting for her. Kate looked at his face confused. Was this the Anthony that she knew? It certainly didn’t feel like it. At least in her mind. Her heart on the other hand was aflutter. She pushed at his palms, wanting to give him a hard time. Not once had he truly fought back with her and it was strange, but not unwelcome.
“I’ll lead the way.” she grumbled, opening up the door to have Anthony avoid seeing her cheeks heat up.
“You don’t even know where we’re going.” her date called out.
“And I don’t have to.” she responded, walking as fast as she could in her heels.
Turns out whatever place Anthony had planned was only accessible by car. So, there she was, sitting in a car, waiting for the man who created her dreams to say something, anything, that would make this night alright. This was a lot of change at once.
Then they pulled up next to a parking lot with a few cars and no one else. The surroundings were pretty sketchy. While Kate was fine with anywhere they went, she was surprised Anthony wanted to parallel park his expensive Audi along the long stretch of cars in the unknown concrete alleyway. She looked about her, glancing out the rearview mirror, wondering if she was about to be murdered by the man, she only made her boyfriend roughly a week ago.
Squinting, she opened her purse, reaching for her brass knuckles and wondering if there was a quick and easy way to escape. Then a shadow appeared in front of her car window. Jumping internally, she looked up at her infuriating almost boyfriend, smirking at her. “Ready for our date Miss Sharma?” he asked, opening the door for her.
Glaring at him, Kate got out, her hands still wrapped about her brass knuckles. “If I didn’t know you any better Mr. Bridgerton, I would think you were up to something shady.”
He grabbed her arm, locking his car as they walked further down the soft lit alley. “Oh please, if I wanted to have my way with you, I wouldn’t have driven you thirty minutes from either of our apartments.”
“Then where are we going? Because you know I hate surprises.” She sneered, as Anthony guided her to the right, down another surprisingly brightly lit walkway by the dip of her back. His hand grazed her exposed skin and she turned to frown at him. For his part, the brunette man smirked, shrugging as if to apologize. “Eloise was right.” she muttered under her breath, watching as Anthony stood straighter.
“Eloise? My sister?”
“Yes, we talked about stranger danger and sketchy men before her date but it seems I should have been given a lecture instead.”
“Eloise is going on a date? Where? When? With who?” Anthony interrogated, his hands pressed into the small of her back with insistence.
“Calm down, you are not her dad. She is a grown woman. I had no idea she didn’t tell you, but based on your reaction, I wouldn’t have either. Now this date is about us, not her.”
He nodded and continued to lead her down the walkway, all conversations of his sister disappearing as they were enveloped into the crowd. The further they walked down the corridor, the more it opened up to a mixture of people in normal clothes and strangely enough saris. Where was Anthony taking her? Before she could demand an answer, her probably boyfriend pulled her in front of a cute looking shop that was decorated with a pale purple, the exterior painting making it easily unassuming. ‘The Sacred Elephant’ was stitched in dimming small light bulbs connected to the top of the building. Why did that feel familiar? She had heard of that name before. But where?
“Kate, you coming?” Anthony called, drawing her attention to her date as he stood there with the door open for her. The smell of biryani wafted into the streets. The smell reminded her of learning how to make raita with her mother when they still lived in India. Was this… Did Anthony take her to an Indian restaurant? Her heart swelled a bit as she smiled, letting him guide her inside.
“Hello, Mr. Bridgerton. Your table is ready.” a pretty hostess the same age as Edwina stated with a dazzling smile.
“Your table huh?” Kate teased, turning to Anthony who kept her close to his side.
“I might have called ahead of time to make sure that we would get a table.” He muttered, looking adorably not in her direction. Was he… was he blushing? She wondered, watching the way the overhead lights from the bar flickered across his features. Kate smiled to herself. How the times have changed. She made the mighty and impenetrable Anthony Bridgerton blush. It was comical really.
Kate thought back to how Edwina gushed about Anthony's love for her, the way he ran to her beck and call while they were playing secret tonsil hockey. She didn't think that what they had was love, right? Kate nearly tripped over her dress as Anthony pulled out her chair. This feeling, this weird stirring in her chest, was because of his cologne and the way he wanted to be called her boyfriend. It wasn't because she loved him too. Couldn't be.
She felt a shiver as he stroked across her exposed back, sending heat all over her fingertips and backbone. Kate looked down at her menu, feeling her ears heat up. This was Anthony for goodness sake. She would not let him turn her into a starry-eyed school girl that didn't know her right from her left. She was stronger than that and a smart educated woman. She didn't need this man to make her heart beat fast, he just… sort of did. She thought looking up and making eye contact as he smiled at her.
“Do you like it?”
“Do I?” she asked cheekily, actually observing the room and restaurant that they were in. All around her, the walls were decorated in a soft grey with wooden curricular totems embedded with an outline of the jade flower, its petals and vines intersecting into a maze that was never ending. As for the tables and chairs, they were made of an easy amber wood with seat accents of orange and yellow hues. Kate looked at the flickering flame on their table, encased by a sunset of glass, making her date's skin not only shine but shimmer under the dull lighting of the area. She closed her eyes, filling her lungs with smells that could only be described as home and wondered how she had never come to this place before.
“You are breathtaking.” A voice cooed, cutting into her thoughts of warmth and home and family. She would have to take Eddy here if the food was good and by the quick search of the patrons, Kate knew she would be in for a night of great indulgence. Out of the populace in the Sacred Elephant, Anthony stuck out like a sore thumb, meaning if other Indians were eager to partake of the food then it would be worth the wait.
Speaking of her insufferably attractive date, she glared at him, willing to keep him on his toes. “Oh no you don't, mister. We agreed to no wooing. I thought you promised me a night of fighting.”
“And fucking.” He smirked, folding his napkin in his lap like the good little English boy he was. Kate could smell the spices in the air. His hoity-toity way would not serve him well here.
“If you think you’re going to be that lucky?”
“There she is.” He smirked. “My feisty queen.”
“Then where’s my crown?” Kate challenged, leaning forward and already back at ease. The lovey-dovey nature swirling in the eldest Bridgerton's eyes put her in a nervous state. This arguing was good for them; this was neutral territory.
“On your head, shining like always.” Anthony smoothly delivered. Kate flinched, not used to his compliments on a daily basis. Instead, she looked down at her napkin, fiddling with the cloth before folding it in her lap.
“Yeah, okay.” She muttered lamely.
“Hi, how are we doing tonight?” a waitress asked, coming to stand beside their table.
Kate looked at the woman’s curly styled hair, envious of the years she had spent being taught to straighten her dark locks. Their waitress turned with matching brown eyes, a smile shining in them.
“And for you miss?”
“Oh?” Kate glanced at the menu, feeling strangely unprepared for the entire night. “I will have a water with lemon and a cup of your assam tea, if you have it.”
“Of course. Would you two like to order as well or should I come back?”
Kate glanced at her date, knowing a list of options she would automatically enjoy, but Anthony for all his prowess had never struck her as a man who would have deviated in his taste palate.
“Kate?” he questioned, a tiny furrow developing between his brow.
“I’m ready to order, have been since I was born. What about you, Bridgerton?” She challenged, leaning forward in her seat. She saw the moment her boyfriend smirked, accepting her dare as he grinned lopsided.
“You can’t handle how ready I am for this Miss Sharma.” Then he turned those startling brown eyes away from her and honed in on the waitress.
“I would like your chicken vindaloo.” He said with full confidence. Kate nearly laughed. This wasn’t an average chicken dish, the smells from the kitchen were cleaning out everything she had ever experienced in the last months and warming her insides. Anthony would be dying by the end of this meal from the heat of it all.
“I’ll take the chana saag, at a hot level.”
“And for you sir? What spice level would you like our cooks to use?” Kate stared at him, seeing a small glisten already forming on Anthony’s skin. He was in trouble and he knew it. Her eyes traced the gulp down his neck, a quick idea of following that path with her teeth flashing through her mind.
“I will take the same.” He defiantly stated.
Kate smirked, shrugging. “If you say so.” Then smiled as the waitress cautiously took their menus, her disbelief at Anthony obvious as well and left. The eldest Sharma sister waited until the waitress left before resting her elbows on the table, propping her head in her interlaced hands.
“You are in for a surprise.”
“I’m a big man, capable of eating many, many wonderful things, including spicy foods and,” he glanced her up and down, “spicy women.”
She shifted in her chair, feeling the heat of his innuendo as the two sat there, embraced in a stand off of arousal. Kate’s heart raced, faster and faster at his penetrating stare. Not used to his overall attentive, sexual nature, Kate glared at him then looked away.
“You couldn’t handle me if you tried.” She flicked her shoe down his leg, smirking at the glazed look in his eye.
“I could do anything with you by my side, Kate.” Anthony reached for her hands. She stared at the gesture, nervous at the promise to be his girlfriend. What did that look like? Would he want to spend more or less time with her? Would she still be herself even with him by her side? She thought of all the great women in her life, mostly her mother and sister and she certainly didn’t think less of them for falling in love, not that she was in love but she would like to see what it would be like to have Anthony by her side. She reciprocated by sliding her palm beside his.
Kate squeezed his hand, trying to get them back to their normal antagonist ways. “Flattery will get you everywhere, good sir.”
“I mean it Kate.” he told her in earnest. Not used to this level of vulnerability, she snorted.
“I know, but…” she dragged her finger on the table drawing nonsensical circles. “I like what we had. Have.” she peered up into eyes staring directly into her soul. Kate sucked in a breath.
“Can you please just tell me about your day and I’ll tell you that you’re an idiot?” she asked.
Anthony for his part did not laugh at her or say anything else. He merely nodded. “As you wish.”
For the most part, things went well after that. They talked about their siblings, their work, the christening they would have to do on Anthony’s rug to match Kate’s and even more. By the time the food came out, Kate was laughing, watching Anthony fully sweat as the heat and spices got to him, but he was keeping it together better than she assumed he would. Fortunately for her, her boyfriend liked a dare.
Then the phone rang. Kate looked down, “Hold on one second. Edwina is calling.” Kate smiled, getting up from her seat.
“No problem.” Anthony winced, his fists balling into the tablecloth.
Kate smirked, knowing the food was getting to her boyfriend. She got up, walking to the outdoor area as she answered and grinned. “Hey Eddy.”