Once I had showered and was dressed, I made my way out of the guest bathroom and into the living room to watch TV while I waited for Eden. I smiled when I thought back to how she had thrown her hand on her hip when I suggested we shower together to save time.
"Bucky Barnes! I think showering together would have the opposite effect"
I saw a mischievous glint in her eye when she strolled up to me and rubbed her finger down my chest. I knew if I kept talking, I could convince her to see things my way. I leaned down to kiss her and she suddenly bolted past me, running full speed to her bathroom. "You can use the shower in the guest bathroom" I heard her yell before she slammed the door shut.
How the hell did I not see that coming?
I heard her giggling behind the closed door when I knocked.
"I won't fall for that trick a second time" I promised with a laugh before leaving the room.
I walked down the hallway and into the spare bedroom to grab some clothes from my duffel bag.
I guess it's technically my bedroom now. I need to get my things from Steve's apartment and bring them over here.
I stripped off my sweaty workout clothes and threw them in a laundry basket that Eden had put in the bedroom for me. Me and Steve had run our normal route and then turned around and headed to the gym. We had spent nearly an hour lifting weights and then boxed a while before finally deciding we were hungry. When I asked him to join me and Eden for lunch, he had suggested we go out to eat at some new Italian place that Natasha and Clint had told him about.
I took a shower and then got dressed before making my way into the living room to watch TV while I waited for Eden. Steve had told me to text him when we were ready and he would meet us down at the car. Eden finally came out of her room about 10 minutes later. I didn't turn to look at her and ignored her when she sat down on the couch. I felt her watching me, a smile on her face. "Bucky….." she started to say but I shook my head at her, "I have nothing to say to you woman"
"Now Bucky, you know if I had let you talk me into taking a shower with you, we would still be in there right now….together….all wet and soapy…and…"
I growled and lunged for her…she squealed and tried to slide away from me, but I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my lap. She threw her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek, "Next time, I promise I won't run"
"Damn right you won't" I said gruffly, kissing slowly down her neck.
She moaned, "Bucky, stop! We need to go; Steve's going to be waiting on us"
I stopped kissing her neck and let her go, "Fine, but you owe me"
I grabbed my phone and texted Steve to let him know we were headed down to his car. Eden grabbed her phone and purse and we walked down to the parking lot holding hands. Steve was already in the car waiting for us.
"You can sit up front with Steve, I'll sit in the back" she said, kissing me on the cheek before opening the back door and sliding in.
The ride to restaurant didn't take long. Steve spent the car ride asking Eden about her business and what exactly it was that she did for her clients.
I sat back and listened to them talk. The two of them seemed to get along very well…I tried not to let it bother me. Steve was my best friend and I knew he was too good of a guy to try and steal another man's girl. And Eden, my sweet Eden…she genuinely seemed to care about me, even though I had no idea why that was.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I quickly got out to open the door for her, taking her hand in mine and kissing it gently. She giggled and smiled at me, "Thank you"
We only had to wait a few minutes before the hostess led us to a table tucked away in the corner. Eden excused herself so she could go to the ladies room, letting me and Steve know to order her a sweet tea if the waitress came by before she got back.
Not more than 10 seconds later, I saw a dark haired woman saunter up to our table. She was pretty, there was no denying it, but there was something about her that I instantly disliked…she looked like a woman on the prowl. Her black skirt was too short and her breasts look like they were going to pop out of her too tight top at any second. Steve had his head down and was looking at the menu so he didn't notice her until she said, "Hey there guys! I'm Elizabeth and I'm going to be your server toady. What can I get you two handsome men to drink?" Her eyes got wide when Steve looked up at her, "Your Captain America" she said, a sly grin on her face.
Steve didn't enjoy being recognized in public so he forced a smile on his face, "Yes ma'am, I'd like a Sprite please"
"Coming right up sweetie" she said, licking her lips and winking at him.
She turned my way, her smile growing wider on her face when she saw me, "MMmmm, hi there, what can I get for you?" She laid her hand on my shoulder and rubbed her fingers down my arm.
Is she trying to flirt with me? Like I would ever be interested in someone like her.
I looked at her hand on my arm and then back to her face…she didn't get the hint, "Coke" I finally mumbled.
"And our friend would like a sweet tea please" Steve mentioned before she turned to flounce away.
"I think she was coming on to you Bucky" Steve joked "I wonder what Eden would think"
I sneered at him, "Like I would ever be interested in someone like that"
I looked up to see Eden making her way over to the table and I smiled at her…she was the only woman I could ever want.
That's a real woman!
"Sorry it took so long, there was a line in the bathroom. Has the waiter come by to get our drink order yet?" she asked as she slid into the chair next to me. I felt her hand find mine under the table and squeeze it gently.
Steve chuckled, "A waitress came by and got our drink order…she was something else"
She looked over at Steve curiously, "What's that mean?
I interrupted, "He means she looked like a floozy"
Eden giggled, "Oh really!? What makes you say that?"
Steve laughed, "May have been the way she was dressed…or it may have been the way she was flirting with Bucky…getting a little hands on over there"
Eden's mouth dropped open, "What?"
I kicked Steve under the table and muttered, "Jerk"
"Punk!" he said, reaching under the table to rub his shin.
Eden laughed at us and turned to smile at me, "Hmm, hands on huh? Should I be worried?" she teased.
"Absolutely not" I said, opening my menu in hopes that it would end the conversation. I didn't want Eden to think there was any way I could want or even look at another woman besides her. She was everything I needed or wanted.
She squeezed my hand one last time before letting it go to open her own menu. Eden was still looking down at her menu when I saw the waitress approaching our table again, our drinks on the tray she was holding.
"Here we go guys, a Sprite for Captain America" she sat the drink down in front of Steve.
"And here you go sweetie, a Coke for you" she said in a sickly sweet voice, winking at me as she sat it down.
She picked up the sweet tea off her tray and sat it down in front of Eden, "And for you…" she stopped and stared at Eden. I felt Eden's hand grip my knee suddenly and I glanced over at her to see what was wrong. She had a shocked look on her face, and she was staring back at the waitress.
"Eden…so nice to see you again" the waitress said with an evil smile on her face.
"Lizzie" Eden said back curtly.
"Hmm, how long has it been…a year and half? I remember the last time I saw you….you were running out of Michael's apartment crying" Lizzie put her hand on her hip, a smug look on her face.
At the sound of Michael's name I tensed up. Steve looked up inquisitively, watching the interaction…unsure of what was going on.
I assumed this was the girl that Eden's ex-boyfriend had cheated on her with….it made me dislike her even more.
Why in the world would he give up Eden for this girl?
"That's right, I guess I should thank you for that…because of you, I was able to get away from that asshole"
"Yeah, Michael was fun for a little while but I needed a real man" she said, her eyes falling on me.
She smiled at me, "Like you…you want to get a drink later?" she said, letting her hand touch my shoulder again. I heard Eden gasp…flabbergasted that Lizzie would so blatantly flirt with me in her face when it was obvious that we were there together.
I reached up and removed her hand from my shoulder, "No thanks, I have standards"
Lizzie jerked her hand away from me and huffed before walking away.
"I'm going to request another waitress" Steve said, getting up from the table and heading back to the front of the restaurant. He paused as he walked by Eden, laying his hand on her shoulder, "You alright?"
I saw her nod her head, "Yep" Steve smiled at her and walked away….Eden lowered her face to stare at her hands.
"I'm so embarrassed" she said quietly.
"You're not the one who should be embarrassed Eden" I told her, taking her hand in mine.
"I can't believe her! She's already broken up one relationship, now she tries to do it again"
I grabbed her shoulder and turned her towards me, "Eden, she didn't stand a chance with me...do you honestly think I would be interested in someone like her"
Eden shrugged.
"You're a silly woman Eden Page, if you think I would ever choose anyone over you" I used my thumb to tilt her face up to mine and kissed her on the lips.
She buried her face in my neck and I heard her whisper in my ear, "I love you"
I pulled away from her, "What did you say?"
She looked nervously up at me, "I love you" she said it again "I'm sorry if that freaks you out, I just thought you should know…I mean…I've felt that way for a while….I just…" she stopped talking.
"You apologize too much" I said, still trying to believe what I had just heard her say.
She said she loves me…what do I say? You say it back you idiot! You love her too!
She nodded her head, "I've heard that…once or twice before"
I saw Steve heading back to our table, a waiter following behind him. Before he got too close to us, I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I love you too"
She looked up at me, a wide smile on her beautiful face.
Steve sat back down in his chair and the waiter introduced himself, "My name is Martin and I'm going to be taking over for Elizabeth"
The rest of the meal went smoothly. Steve being the great guy he is didn't ask who Lizzie was and how Eden knew her…instead he told funny stories about me and him growing up in Brooklyn. Eden laughed at each one, looking over at me with a twinkle in her eye. During dessert we got on the subject of Brooke and her move to DC the next day. Steve perked up at the mention of Brooke. The plan was to meet her Brooke's apartment at noon the next day and help her unload all of her stuff. I was excited to meet the woman that had caught my best friend's attention.
When the bill came, I snatched it up before Steve could grab it. He smiled at me when he saw me slip my wallet out of my pocket and pull the debit card from the very back and lay it on the table.
"Bucky…" he started to say
"What? A man can't take the woman he loves and his best friend out to lunch?" I said with a smile.
Steve eyes widened and he looked over at Eden and grinned, "I guess you finally told him"
She nodded.
I pretended to pout, "You told that jerk you loved me before you told me?"
She leaned over and kissed me sweetly on the lips and replied, "He asked"