The further they walked under the relentless stares of strangers, the greater she felt a need be protected but, from what, she wasn’t certain. All that she knew was that she felt it and denying it was not going to make the feeling go away. As if sensing her discomfort, Tanner, reached down and placed his right palm in the small of her lower back. The gesture startled and reassured her at the same time. It was a firm and purposeful touch. She turned towards him without speaking and smiled slightly.
“Are you alright, Anabelle?” he asked as they neared the entrance to the restaurant.
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. I think I’m a little light headed from not eating all day.” She responded.
He smiled back at her but did not remove his hand. If anything, the pressure increased ever so slightly. Her mind cautioned her to keep it in perspective. She told herself that he was just being nice and that interpreting otherwise was a really bad idea. At the very least, she saw a side of them that she swore didn’t exist. If nothing else, it was a pleasant surprise.
Perhaps there was more to them than she had originally thought…
“Welcome back, gentlemen.” said a dazzling leggy brunette as the trio approached. “Your usual table?”
“Yep. How’s it going tonight Maxine?” asked Tanner, his hand still pressed firmly into Anabelle’s backside.
The statuesque beauty fumbled with a handful of menus, giggled and replied, “Much better now that you have both arrived.”
Anabelle rolled her eyes as Maxine turned and began to lead them back to their table – a secluded booth on the opposite side of the restaurant. In spite of its upscale reputation, Anabelle noticed that the crowd in the restaurant was surprisingly young and mostly female.
As they walked, Anabelle could hear whispers and laughs. She wanted to tell herself that they weren’t directed at her but she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were. Only the reassuring touch of Tanner’s hand kept her mind focused and her emotions under control.
For now, at least, it was enough.
They reached the table when Armin turned towards Anabelle and asked, “Would you prefer to sit between us or not?”
Lying, she replied, “It really doesn’t matter.” Ten minutes ago, in the hotel room when she was tired and pissed off, no, it wouldn’t have mattered. But, after having Tanner’s hand on her back for the better part of five minutes had taken the edge off.
Tanner gestured towards the booth and said, “Well, if you sat between us it would probably be easier to conduct the interview. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Sure, yeah, sounds great.” She replied. And with that, the trio slid into place.
Once they had taken their seats, Maxine handed them their menus and said, “Rebecca will be over momentarily. Enjoy you meal gentlemen… and madam.”
“Thanks Maxine.” Armin replied.
Anabelle smiled pleasantly and replied, “Yes, thank you very much.”
It really was a lovely place. Anabelle had to admit it. She imagined that it would be tough eating at her usual fast food joints after dining in a place like this. “This place is really… something.” She said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Tanner replied, “I’m glad you like it. To tell the truth, it’s really not our kind of place. Our managers and agents put us up in these hotels. It’s not what we’re all about but it’s an image thing so we kind of have to do it. We’re much happier at an out of the way greasy spoon somewhere but life in the public eye comes with tradeoffs. On other hand, it’s not all bad. For the most part, we get to keep our privacy in places like this. That, plus the food is pretty incredible…”
Anabelle nodded her head. “I see.” She replied.
A few seconds later, the waitress, Rebecca, came to the table carrying two bottles of the brothers’ favorite wine with her. She stood at the edge of the table and said, “Before I pour, will you gentlemen be having your usual meal this evening?”
“Yes, I…” Tanner began. He then turned towards Anabelle and said, “Anabelle… Armin and I have a favorite meal here. I’m sure they can serve it in a large enough portion – that is, if you don’t mind us ordering for you.”
“No, that’s fine. What is it?” she replied.
Armin interjected, “Roasted pork loin that’s served with fennel sausage and stuffed butternut squash. It’s… stupid good.”
The waitress nodded and said, “It’s so yummy. You are going to love it, trust me. It just takes a little while to prepare. Is that alright?”
Anabelle paused for a moment and then said, “Yeah, it’s okay. It sounds like it’s worth waiting for anyway.”
“Excellent selection, you won’t be disappointed.” Rebecca said as she uncorked the wine. She poured a bit in Armin’s glass.
He swirled it for a moment, tasted and said, “Perfect.”
“Very good…” Rebecca replied. “Will you be having wine ma’am?”
Anabelle wasn’t much of a drinker and to complicate matters she had an empty stomach. On the other hand, she was feeling on a bit on edge and with at least a couple of hours still ahead of her, she thought that a little bit couldn’t hurt.
“Yes, please. But, only a little.” She replied.
Rebecca nodded, poured and said, “I’ll put the order in for you. Can I bring you anything else in the meantime?”
“No, thanks Rebecca.” Armin said.
Rebecca left and before Anabelle realized it thirty minutes had quickly gone by. During that time, the three of them had already managed to get through one of the bottles of wine. Lucky for Anabelle, Rebecca had left some warm bread behind. Even so, she was beginning to feel the effects.
Buzzing a bit, Anabelle said, “She wasn’t kidding about that meal taking a while was she?”
Armin smiled and said, “No. She wasn’t. But, it’s worth the wait.”
“Like all good things…” Anabelle said.
“True.” Tanner replied.
Anabelle then asked, “Would you mind if we get to why we’re here? The interview, I mean…”
“Oh right…” Armin replied. “Back to business eh?”
“Something like that.” She said as she rummaged through her bag.
“That’s fine but before we do, my brother and I have something to say to you Anabelle.” Armin said.
She stopped for a moment and said, “Alright…”
“It’s simple really.” Tanner replied. “We just want to apologize to you. You know, for keeping you waiting like we did. It wasn’t cool.”
Armin nodded in agreement.
Surprised, Anabelle replied, “Oh… I… well, it’s not that big of a deal but… thank you. Thank you both very much.” The truth was that in that moment you could have knocked her over with a feather. It was just about the last thing she could ever expected.
“Don’t mention it…” Tanner said. “Even though we didn’t intend it, I’m sure we came across as total dicks.”
“Well, now that you mention it…” Anabelle said with grin.
Armin chuckled and said, “Hey, we deserve it. No hard feelings then?”
“No…” she said.
“Great. Uhhm, would you like a bit more wine Anabelle?” Tanner asked.
Against her better judgment she replied, “Yes.”
As he moved the bottle in her direction, she reached for her glass to pick it up. But no sooner had she started to grab it than it slipped from her grasp. It fell backwards towards her and as it did, the small amount of wine that remained in the glass spilled onto her shirt.
“Ohhh! I am such a klutz…” she groaned. She quickly picked the glass back up and set it on the table while simultaneously attempting to remove as much of the stain as she could from her shirt.
“No problem.” Armin replied. “We’ll get Rebecca over here. Maybe they have something in the kitchen that can help you get the stain out before it starts to set.”
As Tanner motioned for Rebecca, Anabelle glanced sideways at Armin and said
with incredulity, “What kind of rock stars know about a stain setting?”
He laughed and said, “We weren’t always rock stars Anabelle and besides, we spill shit on ourselves all the time.”
She looked up and locked eyes with him. It was stupid but his politeness had caught her off guard. She lingered there for a moment and enjoyed what felt like a tiny connection until from behind him, the waitress reappeared, and severed it.
Without breaking his gaze on Anabelle, Armin said to the waitress, “Rebecca, our friend here has had a small accident. Do you have anything she can use on the wine stain?”
“Ohh, uhhm… I’m not sure but I’ll check. I’ll be right back.” Rebecca replied.
“Great, thanks.” He said.
“Thank you, Armin.” Anabelle replied.
“Not a problem… hopefully they can find something back there.” He said.
Anabelle smiled in appreciation when suddenly, the waitress returned to the table and said, “Seltzer water… It’s all we had but the chef swears it’s as good as anything. Just go ahead and put a little bit of it on the stain, then dab it. I’m going to get your meals. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Anabelle took the water from her, did as she was instructed and, as promised, after a few seconds, the stain almost completely disappeared. Just the tiniest trace of it remained.
“Wow, that’s incredible. I never would have imagined that would work so well.” Anabelle said.
Just as she finished, Rebecca returned with their food.
“Thank you for your help.” Anabelle replied. “That really worked.”
“Good, I’ll be sure and let the chef know.” She said as she placed their meals on the table. She then stepped back and said, “Can I get you anything else?”
“No thanks, Rebecca. We’re good for now.” Tanner replied.
In the midst of the wine fiasco, Anabelle had forgotten just how hungry she was. The chef had plated her food so masterfully that it almost seemed a shame to eat it. That is, until she took the first bite. The dish was a sublime mix of savory pork smokiness and subtle sweetness from the butternut squash.
It was utterly divine.
It was so delicious, so overwhelming to her taste buds that for several minutes, she didn’t say a single word.
Tanner finally spoke up and said, “Must be good, huh Armin? This is the quietest we’ve seen her yet.”
“Mmm, hmm.” Armin nodded.
Anabelle swallowed a bite, smiled a bit sheepishly and said, “I’m sorry. I guess I was just really hungry and…”
“…And it’s just about the best damn food you’ve ever had, right?” Tanner said.
She nodded. “Yes. You were right. It. Is. Incredible.”
The brothers laughed in unison and then, Armin said, “We told you so. You need to learn to trust us. We’re not bad guys once you get to know us.”
She swallowed, smiled slightly and said, “I never said you were.”
For several more minutes, the three of them ate in reverential quiet until at last Tanner said, “So, Anabelle, you are on the verge of law school I understand.”
She turned her head towards him quickly and asked, “How did you know that?”
He smiled and replied, “You aren’t the only one that knows how to do background research. Let’s see… You were orphaned at two years of age, bounced around countless foster homes but you were resilient and never gave up. Now the only thing between your dream and you is…us. How’s that sound? About right?”
“Wait… How did you…” she said.
Armin interjected and replied, “Tanner’s having a little fun with you Anabelle.”
She wiped the edge of her mouth with the linen napkin in her lap and said, “Huh? What do you mean ‘fun’? I’m confused.”
He continued, “We owed the Professor a favor. Well, a bunch of them actually.”
“Professor? What Professor? You mean, mine? Professor Wilkinson?” Anabelle asked.
“The one and only.” Tanner replied.
“I don’t understand. Why would you owe someone you don’t know, a favor?” she asked.
“Who said we didn’t know him?” Tanner asked.
“Well, no one, I guess…” She replied.
Armin finished the last bite of his meal and said, “He never told you did he?”
“No. Told me what? What are you two talking about?” she asked.
“The three of us have something in common, Anabelle.” Armin said.
Anabelle’s forehead crinkled in disbelief. She leaned back a bit and said, “I think I’ve heard it all now. What in the world would I possibly have in common with the likes of you two?”
Tanner pushed his plate towards the middle of the table and said, “A lot more than you realize.”
“Well, I am all ears.” She said.
Tanner hesitated for a moment and then said, “Armin… What do you think? Should we tell her now or leave it for later?”
Armin smirked and replied, “Later, definitely later.”
Anabelle scowled and said, “Later? Later when? I thought we were going to talk tonight. You know, the interview?”
Tanner said, “Oh right, the interview.”
Armin then said, “Look, we’ve enjoyed your company Anabelle and I think I speak for my brother when I say we’d rather not have the evening turn into a working dinner.”
Tanner nodded in agreement.
Frustrated, Anabelle said, “I understand that you’re busy but I have to complete my assignment. Is there any chance you can just reconsider? I mean, we’re here now. It won’t take long, I promise. Please?”
Armin winced and said, “You know, we want to do it… We really do… But, just not tonight.”
Anabelle bit her lower lip in frustration. Clearly it wasn’t going to happen. She shook her head and said, “Fine. If not tonight, then when?”
“How about this coming weekend? We’ll be in Portland. Why don’t you come with us? I promise it’ll be an experience you’ll never forget. That is, if you don’t mind leaving… your cat.” Tanner said with a wink.
“Ha, ha… Very funny.” Anabelle replied sarcastically.
Armin leaned in and asked, “Well, what do you say?”
Anabelle grimaced. “I suppose I don’t have a choice in the matter do I?” she asked.
“Nope. Not if you want to get the interview, you don’t.” Armin replied.
She mulled over her non-existent options for a moment and replied, “Okay then, I’ll go but you have to promise me, promise, that I will have time with you to do the interview. It’s so important. Please promise me.”
“You’ll have a blast, guaranteed and yeah, you have our word that we’ll make time for it… and you.” Tanner said as he signed the bill.
“Okay.” She said. “And, thank you both for dinner, it was delicious.”
“It was our pleasure.” Tanner replied as he and Armin slid out of the booth. Anabelle followed close behind but just as she went to take her first step out of it, she nearly fell over.
“Whoa, whoa… Careful there!” Tanner said as he steadied her. “Hmmm, looks like someone’s had a little too much…”
“I’m fine. Really. I’m just clumsy sometimes.” She said.
Tanner grabbed Anabelle by the shoulders and turned her towards him. “Anabelle, look at me.” He said.
She locked on to his aquamarine pools as best she could. Without blinking, he said, “Follow my finger. Don’t move your head… just follow it with your eyes.”
“Why? Where is going to go?” she giggled.
“Aaaaaannndd, that’s that, wouldn’t you say bro?” Tanner said.
“Uhhm, yeah.” Armin replied.
She giggled again and said, “What? What is? Hey, you promised you were to wiggle your finger at me.”
“Maybe another time. Come on Armin, help me out.” Tanner said. “I think we’ll give her a new nickname, man… Two Glasses Ana. Two Glasses Ana she’s done.”
Armin laughed. “Yeah, definitely. Two Glasses Ana it is. Come on Two Glasses, let’s get you a cab home.”
“Ohhh! Poo! I don’t need a cab.” She pouted.
“Yeah, you do. Don’t argue with us, just wrap your arms inside of ours and we’ll walk you out.” Armin said.
Anabelle grumbled, “Okay…”
A few minutes later, the trio, still locked arm-in-arm, neared the front entrance of the hotel and as they did, the doorman approached.
“Taxi, gentlemen?” he asked.
“Yes but just for our friend here. Take her wherever she needs go. Put the fare on our room.” Armin said.
“No! I can pay for my own ride home.” She replied.
“Anabelle, that’s not going to happen so don’t bother arguing.” Tanner said.
“Fine.” She pouted.
“Where to then, ma’am?” the doorman asked.
“Across town, near the university.” She reached in her purse, fumbled around for a moment and produced her drivers’ license. “Here’s my address…” She said as she went to give it to the doorman.
But before he could take it from her, Tanner snatched it.
“Hey! Give me that you sneak!” she squealed.
He turned his back towards her to get a good long look at it. He whistled and said, “Niiiicee pic. You look… thrilled.”
Anabelle hated that picture. They’d caught her mid-blink and wouldn’t take another one without making her get back in line. She figured it just wasn’t worth the two hour wait but it was times like this when she regretted that decision. She balled her fists up and made feeble attempts to strike at his heavily muscled back.
“Give it back, jerk!” she demanded.
“Okay, okay…” he said as he laughed. He then handed it to the doorman and said, “Write down that address would you please?”
“Why do you need my address?” she asked.
“Well, we need to know where to send the limousine to pick you up on Friday don’t we?” Armin said.
“Limousine?” She asked.
“Yeah, unless you’d rather drive your uhm, car, to the private plane. But hey, that’s up to you.” Tanner replied.
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