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She could feel his eyes on her. And sure enough, as she sneaked a glance to her side, she could see Tony a few feet away watching her. Trying her best to ignore him, she re-focused her attention on the man in front of her.
'I can lift 155 pounds,' the gladiator was telling her proudly.
'That's…great. So, how do you know Abby?'
'Huh?'
'The person throwing this party. How do you know her?'
'Oh, her – friend of a friend,' he said uninterestedly. 'Yeah, so like I said I can lift 155 pounds. Do you go to the gym?'
'Ah, sometimes.' Surely there was another topic besides fitness. 'So, what do you do for work?'
'I'm a personal trainer.' Go figure. Kate tried not to roll her eyes. 'I could tell you go to the gym just by looking at you.'
The gladiator leaned against the wall, running his eyes over Kate appreciatively. Kate instinctively took a small step back and a large sip of her drink. Alcohol now seemed like the best way to get through this party.
Across the room, Tony couldn't help but smile. Not only did Kate look like she was bored of the gladiator's company but he'd spotted the perfect person to flirt with.
He walked across the room, picking up another drink and flashed his most winning smile to the nurse standing almost next to Kate and the gladiator.
'You look like you could use some company,' he told her once he was in earshot, holding out the cup he'd picked up. 'And a drink.'
'Thanks but I don't drink,' she told him. She looked up at him and gave a smile. 'I'll accept the company, though.'
'Cute outfit. I've always had a thing for nurses.'
The nurse giggled as Tony winked at her.
'You know, ever since I got to this party I've been feeling off. Maybe you tell me what I've got?'
'I'm not really a nurse,' she told him seriously. 'I just dressed up that way for the party.'
Tony paused for a moment. He was so used to bantering with someone who could more than match him, he'd almost forgotten that not everyone was like that.
'Right,' he said, taking a step towards her. 'So you don't think you could help with my racing heart?'
She giggled again and placed her hand on Tony's chest. 'I can't feel it racing. I can't feel it at all.'
He forced a smile and moved her hand to the other side of his chest.
'How about now?'
Kate suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. She was trying not to listen, really, but Tony had planted himself right next to her and was now flirting shamelessly with some girl wearing some trashy nurse outfit while she was stuck listening to this gladiator tell her about why she should try the keto diet. Clearly, she'd have to step things up if she wanted to annoy Tony as much as he was annoying her.
'So…can you think of any exercise you'd recommend for me?' Kate said suggestively, trying to ignore how much she was cringing on the inside. Flirting was definitely not something that came naturally to her. 'Maybe something that can be done at home? In my bedroom?'
The gladiator's eyes lit up. 'Have you tried HIIT?'
Kate suppressed the urge to scream in frustration and drank some of her wine instead. Right next to her, she was sure that she could see Tony's lips twitch in amusement.
It took him a moment to recover after Kate's failed flirting attempt but Tony fought down the urge to laugh and focused back on the nurse in front of him.
'So, nurse Sarah – '
'I told you Tony, I'm not really a nurse,' she giggled. He was beginning to get sick of the sound of her giggle.
'Okay – so, Sarah,' he said pointedly, resting a hand on the wall just above her shoulder. 'I need your help with something.'
'What's that?'
'Have you ever watched The Bachelor before?'
She nodded.
'Great, so you know how they make them do challenges to see who's compatible with the guy?'
She nodded again.
'I was thinking of doing one of those challenges here.'
'Here?'
'Yep, here. At this party. How do you feel about a wet t-shirt competition?'
He could almost sense Kate rolling her eyes near him while in front of him, Sarah giggled again.
'But I'm not wearing a t-shirt.'
'I'm sure we can arrange something. I have to warn you, though – in this room is a previous wet t-shirt champion.'
'Huh?'
'Yep. She's standing right next to us.'
'Really, Tony?' he looked over at Kate, who'd turned around to face him, eyes blazing with anger.
'She has a bit of a problem with her temper, too,' he told Sarah.
'You want to talk problems?' Kate snapped, before turning to Sarah. 'His problem is that he hasn't matured since the eighth grade.'
'And her problem,' Tony directed to the confused looking gladiator, 'is that she takes everything so seriously that she's forgotten how to have fun.'
'That is not true!'
'Really? Then why wouldn't you play hangman with me yesterday?'
'Because we were working! And because your hangman words are always related to sex or crappy movies.'
Neither of them noticed the gladiator and the nurse looking over at each other.
'Hey,' said the gladiator.
'Hey,' giggled the nurse.
The gladiator motioned towards another part of the room and the two of them started walking away.
'So,' said the gladiator, 'do you go the gym?'
'And your hangman words are always about the case we're working on!' Tony fired back, oblivious to the gladiator and nurse walking away.
'Well, one of us has to focus!'
Kate took a large sip of her drink and Tony could notice rosy patches rising in her cheeks, unsure if it was from anger or the wine or both.
'Keep drinking, Kate,' he said. 'Maybe that will make you loosen up and have some fun.'
'Well, I don't know what I can suggest to help you grow up,' she bit back. 'I think that's a lost cause.'
She turned around to go back to her conversation with the gladiator only to realise that he'd left.
'Great,' she muttered, just as Tony realised that Nurse Sarah had taken off as well.
'We got ditched!' Tony exclaimed. 'Some people just don't appreciate hangman.'
Kate set down her empty glass and took a deep breath. She didn't know if she could deal much more with Tony's banter and she was more than ready for this horrible night to end. 'I'm going home.'
'Wait –' Tony started but his words were drowned out by the sea of voices and music, and Kate walked out the door with surprising speed.
'Dammit, woman,' he muttered before following her.
Across the room, McGee took a step towards the door before Abby grabbed him. 'Don't'
'Kate looks pretty angry, Abby,' McGee told her. 'Don't you think we should stop him?'
'Nope.' A smiled played on Abby's face. 'Twenty dollars that tonight's the night they finally get together.'
For a moment, a frown crossed McGee's face before he made his decision. 'You're on.'
Will Kate and Tony finally get together? Or will they have the fight to end all fights?
Or will they do neither and spend the rest of the night playing hangman instead?
Only one way to find out: review (pretty please)!