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“Sure no problem. Here, have a seat.”
“Dad, what’s he doing here?”
“He’s come to talk to me,” he said. Then he added, “About you.”
“About me?”
“Yeah, about you.”
Upstairs Nikki could hear the whole thing, but the only part that registered was that Patrick was here. She raced to her bedroom and rushed through a quick change. Swapping her ratty pjs for skin tight yoga pants and a barely there tank top. Then hitting her makeup counter pretty hard - heavy lipstick, poofy hair, dramatic eye shadow…
“Yeah, you,” Patrick added, cocking his head and smiling.
Ok, Ant thought, so he does have a pretty cute smile. “What about me?”
Patrick took a step away from her dad and a little closer to her. “I came to ask your dad if I could ask you out.”
Ant wrinkled her brow. “Don’t you think that’s really a question for me?”
“Of course I do. I just wanted to show your folks the proper respect. I’m an old fashioned guy. What can I say?”
Ant thought for a minute. It actually was a pretty cool thing to do. Weirdly old school and outdated, but cool .
When Ant didn’t outright balk, Patrick pressed on. “So, any chance you’d consider having dinner with me tomorrow night? And if all goes well, maybe coming with me to the Mayor’s birthday party?”
Before Ant could answer Cap jumped in. “Of course she will.”
“Daddy!”
“You will.”
She was furious. How dare he answer for her. “I’ve got to go.”
“Come here,” demanded Cap.
“I’m already late.”
“Come here and tell Patrick you’d be happy to go out with him.”
“No!”
“Antoinette Theresa Maria Capogiana it’s just a simple get to know you dinner and a proper escort to the Mayor’s party. It’s not a big deal. Now, tell the Deputy Mayor that you’ll be happy to go out with him.”
Ant knew she’d never get out the door if she didn’t agree. “Fine.”
“There, you see. Not so hard.”
Breathless, Nikki hustled down the stairs right into the middle of it. Boobs bouncing, hair teased within an inch of its life, eyes as smoky as a forest fire. “Oh. Hi Patrick,” she said. Like she had no idea he was there.
“I’ve got sna-acks,” sang Mrs Cap as she came into the family room carrying a ridiculously huge platter of antipasto - six different meats, five different cheeses, olives, veggies, arancini, breadsticks… It landed with a thud as she dropped it onto the coffee table.
“Patrick! Welcome!” she said throwing her arms around him in a great, big, lady bear hug. “Antoinette did you see Patrick is here?”
“Can I go now?” Ant was so over this whole spectacle, and she was going to be late, very late.
“You still haven’t told me where you’re going,” said Cap, pushing his authority as her dad.
“I told you I’m going out.”
