"Anne! In my office, now!"
She gave her apologies to one of their famous customers, a footballer. "I'll be back later, I want to hear more about your next contract," she purred with her brightest smile, and the footballer looked very smitten. Not that she knew anything of the sport apart from what she had heard from Riley, but she knew a celebrity when she saw one and knew how to get them come back again.
Anne sighed at her way to Brendan's office. He had sounded moody and she had no idea why – It had been barely twenty minutes since she had walked on him and Ste tangled together against the kitchen wall. She had lost count ages ago how many times she had caught them in acts of passion as it seemed impossible for those two to make through the evening without some groping like teenagers.
"I'm here, m'lord." She greeted as she stepped in the office and pushed the door close behind her. "What's got you in the mood?"
Brendan was pacing in the small space looking furious and he stopped to wave a magazine in front of her face. "What the hell is this Anne, eh, who's responsible for this?"
"What's gone in you?" She frowned.
"This, this fucking-" He kept pointing her with the paper and Anne snatched the magazine out from his hand.
"Alright, let me see then."
It was a custom that the staff brought in magazines with any mention of Baile in them, but this one was another weekly gossip magazine and she was already guessing that what ever was in there was the reason for Brendan's mood. She flicked through it but Brendan got impatient, grabbed the magazine and pulled out the right page before pushing it back to Anne's hand.
There was some bad picture taken from Ste and Brendan when they were outdoors, alongside with a more official ones, one of Ste alone from some event he had attended during his TV career, and one from the Baile's opening which had been cropped so it was showing just Ste and Brendan side by side, Ste beaming up to him in middle of some opening ceremonies. She was sure she remembered the pic, they had some press over during their first night, and it had originally included all the staff. She eyed through the text part next. It was about the speedy engagement and now the wedding coming up so soon. The tone of the gossip wasn't very pleasant, more of speculation about Ste's heartbreak from break-up with Noah and the dramatic events with Walker throwing him to move so fast with Brendan.
She closed the paper. "So."
"Who was it, hmm, who told them about the wedding, we have kept it just with close family and the staff so someone has blabbed!" Brendan had started to pace again.
"You don't think I did this?" Anne asked. "If I'd want in the papers it would have my face and name on it, trust me."
"No, it's not... I didn't mean you." For a second Brendan seemed apologetic before his rage got up again. "But someone did, and I want to know who! If it was one of our staff they'll get fired so fast and they better be pleased that's all I do for them!"
"Brendan, calm down." She took a step closer and held his arm lightly. "It's just a short article in a gossip magazine, no one will care."
"If there's some paparazzi's in our wedding I swear to God..."
"Listen. Are you listening? I'm sorry to break this for you, but you are not exactly Prince William and Kate, are you? It might be wedding of the century to you, but it's not gonna sell any magazines. What some ex-TV chef does with his time hardly interest anyone." She smiled when Brendan threw her a murderous gaze. "I know he's the sun and the moon and the bloody stars to you, but I doubt the public sees him that way, and it's what you two want, isn't it?"
Brendan was fidgeting. "Yeah, but that magazine -"
"This? This is the most cheapest and desperate one, trying to dig up what ever they can to fill the pages every week. Trust me, I have been on this more than I can count and if I would believe everything they write I would be married to Arabic prince, cheating on him with a boy band and had three babies by now. Or Riley would have got on with several other women. No one takes them seriously, or pay too much attention for it. It's just something people read while they are on a train or wait to be called in to doctors office. Okay?"
Brendan took a deep breath in. "I still need to know who blabbed."
"I don't think it's anyone from our crew." Anne was sure of it, it was obvious how much the staff liked working in Baile and no one would risk to lose the job or get Brendan's wrath upon them. "Maybe someone saw you come out from the registry, recognised Ste and thought they'd make a few bucks from calling in a gossip line. You know how it goes."
"Okay." Brendan took the magazine and stared at the page for a while before handing it back to Anne. "Get rid of it, will ya? I don't want Steven to see it."
"Would he go as ballistic as you went?" She teased and got a half a smile out from Brendan. "Anyways, speaking of the wedding, the day is almost here, are you excited? Looking forward for your honeymoon?" She grinned when Brendan sighed.
"It's not a honeymoon, is it, just a few nights in a hotel, we told you we gonna wait until..."
"Until you feel like you can leave me in charge for a longer period, I know."
"It's not that, but yeah, we're not established enough yet, we gonna give it a few more months. Besides it's more tempting to leave the country when it's cold and dark, and not now when we are having summer in here."
"If you call rain and clouds summer." Anne laughed. "Anyway I think it's lovely, you taking your golden husband to see the sun when winter creeps in."
"And before Cheryl pops out the next Brady." Brendan smiled. Then his phone started to ring and he looked the caller ID. "It's a client, I need to get this. Will you take care of the... Thank you."
"No problem." Anne rolled the magazine and gave him a wink, leaving the office while Brendan answered the phone.
She was stopped by few customers to change some pleasantries with them before she managed to make her way out and towards their trash bins to get rid of the magazine. For a second she stood in the backyard, breathing in the fresh, cool summer evening. The music from inside was faintly thudding through the walls, and it always surprised her how hot it was inside and how she noticed it only when coming out from the heat.
She closed her eyes for a moment. She had never seen Brendan like this, this protective and yet somehow simultaneously so soft. He had been very intense with her when she had needed him and she could still remember how safe and protected she had felt. It was no wonder why Ste was glowing these days, as it seemed he had everything anyone could want. He had changed too from the time Anne had first met him, the almost too shy and insecure young man had turned into a confident, radiant being since Brendan had moved in and they had started to do what ever it was they were doing when no one was watching. Anne could remember the talk they had during Ste's and Brendan's engagement night, and there were no room for doubt that things Brendan did for Ste were exactly what the lad needed.
Sometimes Anne felt remorse she hadn't introduce the two earlier, because now when she looked at them it seemed impossible not to see how well they matched. But she knew that Brendan wouldn't have been ready for it earlier, as it had took him a long time to sort himself out after being forced out and his divorce from Eileen. The way he had put all his anger and frustration to get rid of Warren for her was telling enough. She had no doubt Ste and Brendan wouldn't have hit it off anyway, it was clear from the first second that they fancied each other like mad, but she could imagine all the heartbreak too before things would have ended as they had now. Or started, more likely, cause every day made those two more settled and in love.
Her thoughts momentarily drifted to her own relationships. First with Warren who she though she loved, and who had seemed so perfect at first – big and strong, and treating her like a princess before the control and violence had started, slowly creeping in her life so that once she properly realised what was going on she was already too deep in it. It had took her long time to trust men after that, underneath her cheery and confident role she put out to the rest of the world while only Brendan and few others close to her knew how hurt she really had been. Riley had took his time to charm her, building up the trust between them until she was certain he wouldn't hurt her the way Warren had. They had their problems like any other couple, but they loved each other and wanted to make things work. Sometimes when Anne looked at Ste and Brendan and saw the flaming passion between them she thought there was something missing with her and Riley; but not everyone was the same, and she was pretty certain that no one could match the love those two had for each other.
She collected her thoughts and went back inside, and to downstairs this time. The crowd was mellow so there were no troubles which was good, and barmaid pointed her towards a customer who had been asking about booking the place for a private event. Anne talked to him for a while, took up the basic info and promised to come back to him with a quote over the next few days. Back at upstairs she returned to the footballer and his crew. It turned out he knew Riley and they had a long chat about him. She was sure he would give out a good word about their place and hopefully lure in more famous customers, which would bring in more regular punters in hopes of seeing celebrities eating at the same place.
After a while she made her way in to the kitchen, to ask Ste about the food requests the potential customer had mentioned, but it was only Michel in, working his way through the orders.
"You just missed Ste, he left to have his break." He seemed to have no troubles with the work and Anne was pleased for him. He was young, but that's why Ste had chosen him, to give someone the same chance he had got from Tony and that had been a wise move. Michel was eager and talented, and few of the barmaids already had a crush on him and his french accent.
"I'll check the office then." Anne said and walked across the dining area to the office door.
She pushed the door open without knocking and stopped on her tracks. It was almost like when she walked on Ste and Brendan few hours ago in the kitchen, both of them against the office wall. Only this time Ste's legs were bare and wrapped around Brendan's waist and arms around his shoulders, his head buried against Brendan's neck as to muffle his moans. Brendan's pants hang loose as he held Ste up and Anne had never known a person could make growls like he did in rhythm of the movements of his hips. Neither of them had noticed her so she just quietly backed out, closed the door and made sure to lock it before leaving the boys to enjoy their break.