CHAPTER EIGHT
Let Down Your Guard
Somehow, within the first five seconds of entering the bar, Kate was embraced by Carole and had Bradley hooked onto her leg, hugging her. Kate watched Nick walk over to the piano with Bradley. The other three, consisting of Kate, Carole and Pete, walked over to one of the tables. From what Kate had gathered, Carole was very free spirited, kind and hilarious.
"Hey, Kate! Wanna hear stories about younger Pete—" Carole started, getting caught off by Pete.
"No she doesn't." He looked at Kate. "You really don't.
"Well now I do—"
"I don't see you sharing any stories about yourself." Pete said.
"Okay, here's one: once upon a time, I was a kid. There." Kate replied, giving a sarcastic smile.
Carole could see the way they looked at each other, it was different. It is similar to when he was with Penny, but so much more. And while Kate was better at hiding it, there was still that look. And she couldn't help but tease them both.
Kate knew that she reacted differently to Pete than she did with Charlie or any of her past partners. And she was starting to realise that only now. She learned to get used to the bubbling feeling in her stomach whenever he talked, smiled or looked at her. And she realised how much she really liked him.
Carole saw the way that they looked at each other, but it wasn't in this entirely cutesy, new sort of couple way where they give each other nicknames, it was hope, it was pure, and it was knowing that they finally found their person. They didn't complete each other, they complimented each other's personalities and traits. They had their similarities, and they had their differences.
Kate half listened to the repeat of the same lyrics that Nick would sing to Great Balls Of Fire.
She drank the cup of coffee, which she was extremely grateful for. She nearly downed it like she would with whiskey. She would have had shots of espresso, but she wasn't in the mood for espressos or alcohol.
"Maverick, would you go fetch him? Doesn't he ever embarrass you?" Carole asked.
"Goose? Hell no." Pete responded without hesitation. "Well, there was the time..."
"Admiral's daughter." Carole finished the sentence.
"What?" Pete questioned.
"He told me all about the time you went ballistic with Penny Benjamin." Carole explained, making Kate laugh softly.
"Did he? Well, that's great." Pete responded.
"He tells me about all of them, Maverick. How my little angel, Goose, goes home early for church, and you, you always go home with the hot women. And Kate's proof of that–"
"Thanks for the input." Kate said, placing the cup on the table.
"Alright, thank you, Carole. I'm gonna go embarrass myself with Goose for a while." Pete said, getting up, giving Kate a look.
Kate twisted the cup around on the table, then she felt Carole's eyes focused on her. Every two seconds, Kate would look over at Pete, Nick and Bradley at the piano.
"I would love to warn you off about Maverick, but I just love him to death." Carole laughed. "You know, I've known Pete for a lot of years now, and... I'm telling you one thing's for certain. There are hearts breaking wide open all over the world tonight." Carole told her.
"Why?" Kate questioned.
"Because unless you are a fool, that boy is off the market. He is 100 percent, prime-time in love with you. And I got a strong feelin' that you feel the same way 'bout him." Carole said to her.
Kate smiled, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Hey, Goose, you big stud!" Carole shouted.
"That's me, honey." Nick responded.
"Take me to bed or lose me forever." Carole continued to say.
"Show me the way home, honey." He replied.
Carole gestured for Kate to follow her, which she did with her almost empty coffee cup. They stood by the piano, and the second Pete noticed her standing there, he wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder, then slid it down to wrap around her waist.
"Come on, Bradley, sing with the family." Nick said.
Sure enough, their group started singing Great Balls Of Fire. Kate would argue that Pete and Nick were singing the loudest.
An hour or two had passed, Kate and Pete were standing outside of the bar. "You stopped drinking." He stated, putting his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.
"I didn't stop, I'm just... taking a break." She reasoned. "I just don't want to think of any form of alcohol right now." She told him.
Pete nodded in understanding, "I would suggest you and I both go on my motorcycle, but you probably don't wanna leave your bike here."
Kate mirrored his expression while looking at him, a smirk that could only unleash chaos. "I'll race you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Ten bucks says I beat your ass." Kate challenged.
Pete crossed his arms, laughing. "Deal. Whoever gets to your place first, gets the ten bucks." He said, not catching on that she was ready to get on her motorcycle.
He only realised it a second before she let off the brake, to which he sprinted to his, starting the engine. A couple of minutes later, he was handing her ten bucks.
Kate & Carole being besties >>>
Pete and Kate also making small bets about who can get places faster-
Okay, bye!