The pitter-patter of the rain was heard as every drop landed on the window. The view was gloomy but for some reason, he could not look away. The gloominess of the weather seemed to be a reflection of what he was feeling internally. The pain he was feeling made simple tasks difficult. He struggled to breathe, he struggled to eat, and he struggled to focus. He is the only one at fault, at least that is what his younger sister, Eloise Bridgerton, has to say. He could hear her saying "Kate deserves so much better than you," and he has no choice but to agree.
Anthony Bridgerton is known around Chicago as being one of the biggest man-whores. He became the COO of his family's construction company Bridgerton Builds, at the young age of twenty-seven. While many assume that Anthony received his position due to nepotism, that is entirely untrue. As a teen, Anthony spent every summer working with construction laborers employed by BB to get a better feel of what they do. During these summers, he was treated like an employee, there was no special treatment. This is where his appreciation for the employees in all areas grew. Once he finished high school, he studied Business at the University of Chicago. He went on to receive his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. During these experiences, his heart never left his family's company and he soon returned to the Windy City to rejoin the family business. His focus were limited to three b's: business, booze, and babes. That all changed when Kate Sharma entered his life the following year.
Kate Sharma was, and still is, a force to be reckoned with. Fresh out of Stanford, Kate earned employment from one of the biggest law firms in Chicago, Nelson, Smith, & Associates. One thought it was impossible for a twenty-five year old to secure such a prestigious gig as a corporate lawyer, but they have not met Kate. During her third year of undergrad, she secured an internship with this firm and worked tirelessly to show them her skills. By the end of the internship, she made a lasting impression on the partners. They kept an eye out and when it was time for her to graduate law school, they offered her a position that she gladly accepted. While most people would take a second to celebrate their win, Kate did not want to lose momentum. That was until her younger sister, Edwina Sharma, begged her to go out with her.
"Didi, please come with me! It will be fun!"
"I am busy, bon. The firm just took on a huge case that has plenty that needs to be done. I do not have time for cheap booze and karaoke."
"Oh come on, Kate! There is no fun in spending a Friday night staring at files. One night, tonight, will not hurt you. Karaoke is fun and you love cheap booze!"
"I don't think that is a good idea, Eddie."
"Please…"
She knows she cannot say no to her, it has been that way since they were children.
"Fine, Bon! Now, can I finish looking at this file until it is time for us to get ready?"
"Yes, Didi," Edwina says, her voice exuding excitement. Kate let out a sigh, mentally pleading for time to slow down, as she focused her eyes on the file in front of her.
"Me, you, and Twists & Turns at 8pm tonight, no iffs, ands, or buts!" declared Benedict as he strolled into his older brother's office.
"Hello to you too, brother. I am in the middle of work and I would prefer to not be interrupted." Plopping down on the seat across from Anthony, Benedict responds "I am not interrupting, carry on with your work. I am just informing you of your plans tonight."
"Why are these my plans?"
"Because it is karaoke night and we love karaoke night."
"YOU love karaoke night, Benny!"
"Ant, are you really going to pretend that you did not behave like you were on tour the last time we went?" That he could not deny. Though he could not remember this event on his own, his younger brother Colin had captured him giving a pretty good rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" while drunk. He is no Stevie, but Anthony Bridgerton can give a performance!
"Fine, I will go. Now leave. I have work to tend to"
"As you wish," says Benedict as he exits Anthony's office.
At 8:22pm, the two older Bridgerton Brothers enter the establishment. Benedict makes a beeline to the bar, dragging his brother with him. "Two Heinekens, thank you," can be heard coming from the younger brother as Anthony sighs in annoyance from a text he just received. "So you are really just going to ignore me? After all the time we spent together? How could you just use me for sex?" reads a string of texts from one of the many girls that Anthony has messed with. Irritated, he types, "I told you from the start that I was not looking for a relationship and you agreed to it. There was nothing more to us and you know that. Please do not contact me again." Anthony sends the messages and blocks her. Grabbing the beer from his brother's outstretched hand, "thank you" mutters Anthony while taking a swig from the beverage. "No problem. Everything okay?" Benedict asks. "Yeah, it was not important." responds Anthony, desperately wanting to end this conversation. "You sure?" Looking for anyway to move on to something else, Anthony replies "Positive, now, what are you performing tonight? Some Michael Jackson?"
Two sisters can be heard bickering from the other end of the bar.
"Didi, we must perform a song!"
"I am not drunk enough to agree to that, Bon."
"DIDI! Please! Let's do Beyoncé…NO Spice Girls! Remember when you were obsessed with the Spice Girls?"
"How about you perform and I record you? I will be cheering you on!" Kate did not want to perform. She would rather sip on a martini and laugh at people's performances. If Edwina had decided to go up there, she would be the loudest person cheering in the audience. However, she had no intentions of going up there. "If you wanna be my lover…" To Kate, the Spice Girls will forever be a classic. It is safe to assume that she is there #1 stan. Edwina knows this, hence why she sang the lyric. "Okay…" responded Kate. "OKAY?" Edwina shockingly asks. "Yes, go tell the d-," and that is when Edwina pulled a Usain Bolt and sprinted across the busy building to alert the dj of their song selection. Kate shook her head, the stuff she did to make her sister happy.
As Anthony and Benedict attempt to figure out if they wanted to perform together, their attention moved to the stage when a short girl started rapping "Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want." Her face was serious. That might have been the opening bar, but she was already in the zone. There was another woman on the stage who was less serious and giggling at the other woman's antics. "Are they performing Spice Girls? Daphne would be fuming if she knew she was missing a Spice Girls rendition. You know she thinks she could have been of British nobility in another life," says Benedict but Anthony does not hear him. He cannot take his eyes off of the taller woman on stage, wearing a fitted blouse with skinny jeans that hug her in all the right places. Her dark wavy hair frames her face and blends in with her dark leather jacket. She looks gorgeous and her smile draws him in. Suddenly he hears her rap "so here's a story from A to Z, you wanna get with me, you gotta listen carefully." He thinks she sounds like an angel, though she is simply rapping. As they wrap up the song, the audience gives them a loving applause.
That was two years ago. Now, he is looking outside of the rainy window, thinking about the night he met Kate Sharma. The night where he looked at a woman and thought he saw his future and reason for breathing. He wanted to be able to hold Kate and let her tell him about her day. To cook dinner with her and listen to her beautiful laugh. If only he had not made the mistake of letting her go.