"Did I zone out? Sorry."
Riley quirked a brow.
"D'you say d'you zoned out?"
"I get lost in my thoughts."
The brow raise became deep thought then grew into a grin.
"How long do d'you think d'you vere t'inking?"
"Like a minute?"
"How many seconds?" Richard asked.
"I dunno 70?" Kate had no idea where the question was headed.
The twins leaned forward to face each other, using brow twitches and stares to have a full meeting that involved flow charts and minutes taken.
"Damn gurl. Dat was ages." Riley said, doing the most appalling California girl accent to ever exist.
"D'you… um… zone out often?" Richard asked.
Kate shrugged.
New… chubby… girl… who could be slow… that wasn't weakness tripled but weakness cubed.
And she'd already chosen not to trust…
But… okay…
"It was a weakness. I live in my head too much. I try hide when I can."
The sibling pair had the most winning of smiles.
"Kate and d'your hiding." The words had the biggest tsk tsk to them.
The way Riley grinned suggested that pain, lay in Kate's future. Kate needed to figure out when to pull out.
Maybe they were gonna sneak in drone and…
A fragment of her mind stepped up with a question, a hand raised. It was more than enough to interrupt her spiral.
And what Kay? They'd be in the photo too! They were supermodels with… a Kate. Kate was the Kate, with supermodels!
Just the worst trap ever.
That voice had a point. It would still be fired. Invisible hands dragging it away, kicking and screaming. Damnnit, she had to make a move!
Her body creaking back into action, Kate lifted Riley's hand and kissed it.
"Does that put you off? Not trying to seal the deal anymore?" Kate asked in her best attempt at fishing for a compliment.
Everything in her brain held its breath, hands raised in anticipation at her embarrassing attempt at being 'cool'.
Fishing line was tossed into their waters, the compliments net empty until… Ha! She actually caught something!
There was cheering and jumping for joy and then awe followed by silence. Because Kate had caught way more than planned!
A firm hand cupped her jaw and twisted her head into Richard's lips and they embraced. The boy's tongue was its own event! (Not that she'd ever let him know.)
If it was the trap then it was the best trap ever!
"I think maybe ve have d'your attention?" Riley asked, waving her over.
Kate wished they were recording! There was nothing but bliss. Riley was literally holding her waiting for her turn, then, because happiness was only for other people, all of them went rigid.
-Active Ping Tiffany
-Active Ping Tiffany.
-Active Ping Tanaka Sakura.
They were being called back.