Anna bit her bottom lip, looking only mildly embarrassed by his comment.
Hunter just smiled wider and nodded his head towards the restaurant.“Come on. As soon as I saw Anna’s name pop up on our reservation screen I saved you two the best seats in the house.” He spun and headed towards a spiral staircase in the back right of the restaurant.
“You look amazing,” Anna said, glancing up at Brooke, not bothering to follow Hunter right away. The boots Vivienne and Christine had selected for her had the slightest heel to them, but Anna had opted to wear flats. Their height difference was now noticeable. This was also possibly the closest they had ever stood together, with no half wall between them this time.
Brooke knew that, by now, she had to be blushing a shade of red as crimson as Anna’s dress.“Thank you, Anna.” She couldn’t fight the small smile that turned up the corners of her lips.“You look quite lovely yourself.”
Anna smiled a full smile at that, and a bounce immediately flourished in her step as she moved to follow Hunter. She waited for Brooke to follow along.“Why thank you,” Anna said, her voice unmistakably happy. She threaded her arm through the crook in Brooke’s elbow, the physical contact as seamless for her as breathing. Brooke only stiffened ever so slightly, and if Anna noticed, she didn’t let on.
Thankfully, Anna seemed willing and more than capable to carry most of their conversation throughout dinner. Brooke had only needed to ask follow up questions and react appropriately. It was clear from the second they had sat down that Brooke was completely lost when it came to Anna. The Anna Fourchette show was something to behold, and even if it was just for the next week and a half, Brooke would always consider herself lucky for getting a front row seat. First and foremost, Anna was hilarious. She could spin a precise pun out of any comment. She also had a way of brightening the day of every single person she came in contact with. Most of the wait staff came by at one point or another to give her a hug and ask how she’s been. It was clear that they all genuinely missed her, but that they were all proud of her in their own way.
“Can I ask you a question?” Brooke said, as the sixth waiter retreated back down the spiral staircase.
“Of course,” Anna asked, leaning in closer, letting her hand reach out and rest across the back of Brooke’s forearm.
Brooke didn’t let herself look at it. If she looked, Anna might get self-conscious and pull back. Brooke had observed her all night, it was clear that Anna was a physically affectionate person. Brooke would never want her to stop being herself. Even if that meant that her skin under Anna’s touch burned and somehow simultaneously sent a chill down her back all at once.“Why did none of them come to work for you?”
Anna blushed. Her eyes darted around the very private and secluded upstairs VIP section.“Most of the waitstaff tried to get interviews with me, but I wouldn’t take any of them. I would never do that to Hunter.”
Brooke’s heart softened. Even in business Anna was honorable.“Is he the owner here?”
“The general manager,” Anna said softly.“But he runs the place. The owner, Charles, is a super sweet German guy, but he spends most of his time back in Europe.”
Brooke nodded.“You and Hunter seemed close. It’s kind of you to not poach his employees.”
Anna let out a chuckle.“Fun fact. I dated Hunter about three years ago.” She shook her head.“Lasted all of about two weeks.”
Brooke’s thoughts slipped back to Anna’s introduction of him‘one of my oldest friends,’and his comment of Brooke being a‘new friend,’that despite being said with seemingly genuine kindness, something had lingered. A blush crept back up Brooke’s neck. Had that meant something? Brooke leaned forward, too, wanting to match Anna’s conspiratorial energy.“Well now I’ve got to know, why didn’t it last?”
Anna thought about it for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing together as she did so.“Have you ever gotten swept up in something only to find that it was painfully just… underwhelming?” Anna lifted her eyebrows, clearly worried that had landed more harshly than intended.“Like, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guy. It just wasn’t at all what I expected. For example, I wanted to explore the city. I was so new here, and everywhere I suggested, he had already gone. And instead of suggesting places he hadn’t been, or getting excited about going somewhere for a second time, he just kind of shrugged about everywhere I wanted to go. It kind of made me feel ridiculous for not having done anything he had done before. I had a really sheltered childhood.” Anna flinched like she was sharing more than she had intended. Her hand left Brooke’s forearm, pulling back sadly.“I don’t want to put that on you, sorry.”
Brooke swallowed nervously. It was her turn to share. She reached out and caught Anna’s hand before she could retract it off the table.“I hear what you’re saying Anna.” She let out a gentle laugh.“And I would never judge you for why a relationship didn’t work after two weeks. I mean, in that time frame, you’re still learning so much about the other person. And as for living a sheltered life,” Brooke let out a low whistle.“I guess it’s about time I started to fill you in on what you’re to encounter if you’re serious about coming to England with me.”
Anna laughed, clearly touched that Brooke took over the reins of the conversation.“Of course I’m coming with you. We’re going to stick it to your family with a big fuck you. With a capital f,” she added for good measure.
Brooke let out a rough chuckle at that, loving Anna’s loyalty. She sighed and curled back into her seat, letting Anna’s hand go as she shrank away.“When I was sixteen, my mother walked in on me in a compromising situation with my best friend.”
Anna leaned forward, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, giving Brooke her full and undivided attention.
Brooke’s jaw flexed, but she forced herself to continue.“It was decided upon immediately that I would, without hesitation, be shipped off to an all girls Catholic boarding school.”
A small smirk took up residence on the corners of Anna’s deliciously full mouth.
“What?” Brooke asked, unable to help herself.
“I’ve just never understood that logic.” She hummed.“Like, oh-no, my daughter’s gay, let’s ship her off to a building literally full of only women.”
Brooke barked out an undignified laugh at that. She couldn’t help herself. It was such a compelling argument. One that she had thought of a thousand times before.“Yes, I agree with you. The logic is flawed.”
“It would make more sense to send you to things geared more towards men, right?” Anna chuckled.“They should have taken you to wrestling events where fit guys are walking around with their shirts off.”
Brooke must have made a horrified face because Anna snorted out a laugh.
“It’s clear that that idea wouldn’t have really worked either.” Anna giggled again.“My apologies, please continue.”
“No, no. You’re brilliant. Please interject with logic, my life has been severely lacking it in its entirety.”
Anna looked genuinely charmed by that sentiment. A blush crept dangerously across her chest. Brooke refused to let herself study its patterns. Instead she looked pointedly away, steeling herself for the harsh truth of the next chapter in her life.“As you’ve pointed out, the Catholic school did nothing to dissuade my… interests and instead, solidified them. You know, for half a second, I considered being a nun?”
