Postgrad Partners

#MakeupDate #CaTara

"Actually...I kinda do," Cat smiled to her, reaching her hands out to take Tara's.

"You do?" Tara hesitantly took her hands and Cat pulled her back up to her feet. "But why? I thought you'd be at least a little wazzed off that I kept putting off going on a date..."

"I kinda was, but I guess you must have a good reason...maybe it's the same reason you started acting squirrelly after you found out I'm friends with Tori and Jade?"

Looking down at their hands, Tara noticed Cat's thumbs rubbing very softly against hers. She then looked up at Cat's very obvious frown and started to form a reply when the doorbell rang again.

Cat quickly let go of Tara's hands to answer the door, to which a woman in a red uniform held two fast food bags and a drink holder in front of them. "Oh, yay! Lunch is here!" Cat exclaimed as if the last conversation hadn't happened.

"I got a Fresh n Fast Food delivery for...Katara?" the delivery girl read from the receipt attached to one of the bags.

"That's, uh, Cat and Tara! Keep the change!" Cat corrected her as she grabbed a wad of cash from her purse and exchanged it for the food.

"Neat," the girl shrugged and stuffed the money in her pocket, "Enjoy your meal."

"You, too!" Cat laughed as she closed the door on the confused girl's face. She turned to Tara after placing their lunch on the dining table. "Now it's date time!"

Flies could have flown into Tara's mouth with how long it was open since Cat answered the door. Shutting it promptly, she opened one of the bags, seeing a fresh burger and a box of fries. "Is this In N Out? How did you...?"

"How did I know you wanted to try it since you got here?" Cat smiled, "Everyone does when they come to California! Also, Jade told me."

"Jade told you? When?"

"When she called me after the last time I tried asking you out..." Cat took a seat across from Tara and laid out her food in front of her, "So...if you don't want to eat out, why don't we eat...in?"

Tara could only smile through her blush, clearly showing her embarrassment as she unwrapped her burger, "Thanks, Cat...or I guess I should say I'm sorry? Where should I started explaining?"

Cat mumbled and shook her head as she took a bite from her burger, "Eat now, talk later. I'm sure you don't want your first bite of In N Out to be mixed with awkward talk."

Chuckling at the turn of phrase, Tara nodded and bit into her burger as well, watching Cat as she did. Somehow, even while wiping stray ketchup from her lips and loudly sipping lemonade through her straw, there was something so...adorable and attractive about Cat that kept Tara staring at her; and maybe even Cat knew that with every little giggle she made as they made eye contact. Even though they didn't speak during their meal, and the food was better than Tara expected, all that ran through her mind was how she would even begin to explain how dodgy she'd been.

Within minutes, their lunch was finished, wrappers, boxes, and drink cups properly tossed in the trash, leaving Cat and Tara on the dining table; the former not-so-subtly sizing up the latter with her eyes.

"So..." Cat finally broke the silence as she rested her chin on her hand, "How was your first In N Out?"

Tara smiled after wiping her mouth clean with a napkin, "Honestly, that was probably the best burger I've ever had! Thank you, Cat!"

Cat giggled in response to the compliment, making Tara's heart leap again and her face turn red as she awkwardly looked away, trying to form another reply.